146 ANIMAL FOOD RESOURCES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS, 



only the flesh of quadrupeds, and that of St. Cohxmbanus 

 permitting the consumption of poultry in default of fish. 

 The cock was aji object of worship in Syria; among 

 the Greeks and Romans he figured more as a warrior 

 than an esculent, but was gladly eaten by the lower 

 orders. The hen was reckoned a bird of ill omen among 

 the ancients, who sought to diminish the number by 

 eating them. In Rome the art of fattening them, and of 

 imparting a peculiar flavour to their flesh, was perfected 

 by M. L. Strabo, a Roman knight. The rage for fat 

 hens grew at length so great, that 0. Fannius, the 

 Consul, passed a decree forbidding the fattening process, 

 fearing that not a living hen would be left in the Empire. 

 Fortunately the new law said nothing about young 

 cocks, and the capon was' invented, and was received 

 with such transports of delight that the destruction of 

 birds was greater than ever, and the Consul repented 

 too late that he had only named hens in his sumptuary 

 law. 



In old times the Egyptians hatched chickens in ovens ; 

 in the last century Rdaumur recovered this art, which 

 was thought to be lost, and it is practised at the present 

 day with the most satisfactory results. 



More than six million fowls and four million pigeons 

 are artificially reared annually in Egypt. 



The Romans were so fond of various birds that some 

 Consular families assumed the names of those they most 

 esteemed. Catius tells us how to drown fowls in Falernian 

 wine, to render them luscious and tender. 



The fowls of Morocco are of a very large size, often 

 weighing 14 lbs. or more. 



For the table the French breed of fowls is preferable 

 to the Asiatic. They have small bones, well-developed 

 muscles, the flesh is tender, white, and savoury, the skin 

 white and thin; they fatten readily and attain to a 

 remarkable degree of perfection. The pullets of Mans 

 are noted for the delicacy of their flesh. 



The average weight of barndoor fowls sold from farm- 

 yards is 3| lbs. From this must be deducted 3 ozs. for 



