EGGS OF VARIOUS KINDS AS FOOD. 193 



packed in salt, but this made no difference to the preser- 

 vation of the eggs, except that the white was more 

 watery than when only salt was used. The other second 

 prize was given to Mr. Percy Marigold of Edgbaston. 

 These eggs were " preserved with beef and mutton drip- 

 ping, melted together, a little painted over each egg, and 

 then wiped with a cloth." They were quite fit for 

 kitchen purposes, and equal to shop eggs, but, from the 

 fact of the pores having been closed, thei'e had been no 

 evaporation, and, as in the case of the butter and salt 

 system, the white was watery. The three lots of eggs 

 preserved in liquids were good in quality, showing that 

 this is a safe system, but those preserved in melted wax 

 or paraffine were unfit for use. 



The result of this experiment is that as yet no system 

 has been adopted which will preserve the eggs equal to 

 new laid. Most of the eggs were quite fit for cooking, 

 and there are several systems equally good in this re- 

 spect, but no one was fit for the table. 



In China eggs are preserved after the following 

 fashion : — They are covered with a paste of quicklime, 

 sea salt and oak ashes, and thus packed away for three 

 months in boxes, separated from each other by rice 

 husks. As a matter of taste they are not nice, the 

 white being coagulated, and the yolks having turned 

 green, while the smell is anything but pleasant. 



Easter Eggs.-^Ia. many countries there is a large 

 consumption at Easter of hard boiled eggs, dyed red, or 

 ornamented with designs caused by wax tracings. 



The Easter eggs, otherwise called "Paques eggs," 

 whose life is so faithfully preserved by the French 

 confectioner, are the commonest form of present in 

 almost every country of the world. "They are traced in 

 Egypt, Persia, and Mesopotamia, in Greece and in Ger- 

 many, and are extensively used to this day in Russia as 

 a formal addition to the customary greeting and kiss of 

 peace, "Christos vos Ohriste." In nearly every case 

 they are ordinary eggs dyed red, and occasionally tinged 

 yellow, as in the neighbourhood of Newcastle, with the 



