EGGS OF VARIOUS KINDS AS FOOD. 207 



to 160 eggs, as large as those of the turkey, and these are 

 much eaten by the natives. Mr. Joseph, in his " History 

 of Trinidad," states that he had eaten the eggs of the 

 caiman (without knowing what eggs they were) and 

 found them very good. My relative, Mr. R. B. Walker, 

 tells me he has often eaten them in "Western Africa. The 

 shell of the egg is rough, and filled with a thick albumen 

 without trace of yellow. 



In Senegambia the natives are fond of these eggs, but 

 they are said to have a disagreeable flavour, especially 

 the yolk or yellow part. According to Crawfurd they 

 are eaten in Siam. 



Lizards' Eggs. — The eggs of the large tree lizard, 

 known as the Iguana (which looks like an alligator in 

 miniature), are deserving the notice of gourmands. One 

 of these lizards will sometimes contain as many as four 

 score eggs, about the size of a pigeon's egg, but with 

 soft shell, which, when boiled, are like marrow. It 

 would be a refreshing sight to see some aldermanic 

 dignitary who has gone the round of all the dishes 

 which native and foreign skill have been able to pro- 

 duce, partaking for the first time of a dish of lizards' 

 eggs garnished with anchovies. 



Brown, in his work on Guiana, says : — " One of these 

 reptiles captured at its burrow, when killed and cut 

 for cooking, was found to contain ten eggs of an ellip- 

 toid form, shell-less, and midway in size between a 

 pigeon and a hen's egg. These are good eating when 

 boiled for about five minutes and then allowed to get 

 quite cold. They then require some manipulation. A 

 hole is made in one end of the skin, and the albuminous 

 part, which never coagulates, is squeezed out ; then the 

 skin is stripped off, and the semi-hardened yelk, of the 

 consistency of butter, is eaten with salt." 



The eggs of a large lizard ( Faranus bwittatus), those 

 of fish and of ' turtle, are eaten by the Malays and 

 Chinese. The large eggs of the boa constrictor are 

 regarded as a rare dainty by the Africans from the 

 Congo. One of these snakes killed on an estate in 



