EGGS OF VARIOUS KINDS AS FOOD. 209 



eggs, called axayatl, are a substance favourably known 

 to the Indians long before the Conquest, and which 

 'cooked in cakes were not different from fish spawn, 

 having the same appearance and flavour. After the 

 frogs of France and the birds' nests of China, I fancy 

 they would be considered delicacies, and I found they 

 were not disdained on the fashionable tables of the 

 capital." 



The eggs of another species, Corixa esculenta, having 

 the appearance of manna, are also eaten in Egypt. 



In Mexico the dried insects themselves are sold in the 

 streets and markets as food for birds, the dealers crying 

 "Moschitos," "Moschitos," just as in Europe they cry 

 " Food for your singing birds." 



" A large fly deposits its eggs in the frothy edge of 

 the surface of Mono Lake, in California, each of which 

 when hatched becomes a larva of considerable size, and 

 is called ' Ke-chah-re ' by the natives. These larvae, 

 when dried and pulverised are mixed with meal made of 

 acorns, to be sun-dried or baked as bread, or mixed with 

 water and boiled with hot stones for soup. The colour 

 of the powdered larvae being similar to that of coarsely 

 ground black pepper, gives a forbidding appearance to 

 the compound." * 



Fish Spawn. — By those who have not looked into the 

 subject, it would scarcely be conceived how extensive is 

 the commerce, and how varied the uses of fish spawn. 

 Even the variety in shape and extent of production of 

 fish ova is a curious matter of investigation. The eggs 

 of various fishes differ remarkably in external appear- 

 ance. Some would scarcely be believed to be eggs at 

 all ; take for instance the skate's egg. It looks like a 

 fiattened leather bag or purse, with four horns or 

 handles at the corners. The yolk is the size of a walnut, 

 larger or smaller according to the species. The yolk 

 of the egg of the dogfish (Galeus acanthias), which is 

 about the size of a pigeon's egg, is used in parts of 



* Report of Commissioner of Agriculture for 1870. Washington. 



P 



