62 ANIMAL FOOD BESOXJECES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS. 



of season in summer, but it is insipid. With the Indians 

 however, it forms a constant article of diet at their 

 winter feasts. The animal is chiefly sought by the 

 trappers for its fur, the carcass being mostly thrown 

 away. 



The flesh of the young sea otter {Enhydra marina) is 

 reported to be very delicate food, not unlike lamb in 

 flavour. I do not know that the flesh of the European 

 land otter (^Lutra vulgaris, Erkl.) is eaten, although many 

 hundreds are killed yearly in Hanover and other States. 



The Muskars, a low class of woodmen in India, eat 

 the flesh of the Asiatic civet cat ( Viverra Zihetha), and 

 the Chinese the flesh of the wild cat of Formosa {Felis 

 viverrina, Hodgson), although it has a strong civet 

 odour. 



Dogs' flesh as food. — Arriving at the canine animals of 

 prey we flnd that among the ancient Greeks and Romans 

 the dog was dished up at table, and, accordiag to Pliny, 

 roasted puppy dogs were considered excellent. Hippo- 

 crates was convinced that it was a light and wholesome 

 food. They were served up at sumptuous feasts and at 

 the festivals in honour of the consecration of the pontiflTs. 

 Dogs were regularly fed by the Romans for the table, 

 and roast dog was one of the dishes most in vogue.* 



Galen represents dog-meat as a highly desirable diet. 

 M. E. Blaze, a French author, remarks : — " J'ai mangd 

 plusieurs fois h, I'armde du chien et du chat ; je prefere 

 cette viande h, celle du cheval." 



Many of the North American tribes look upon an 

 entrie of dog as the greatest possible bonne bouche they 

 can set before a stranger. Sir Leopold McClintock re- 

 lates that in the Sandwich Islands he had most profuse 

 apologies offered to him because there was no puppy 

 to be had for a feast to which he was invited. The 

 Esquimaux, too, look upon a dish of young dog as a 

 great treat ; and it is related that a Danish captain pro- 

 vided his friends with a feast of this kind, and when 



* Martin's " History of the Dog." 



