EGGS IN CHEMISTRY AND COMMERCE. 99 



brain-work to do. The sulphur in the yolk, as is well known, 

 acts chemically on silver spoons, turning them black, forming a 

 sulphide of silver that can not be removed without taking off the 

 surface of silver, thus rapidly wearing the spoon away. 



Eggs, although of animal origin, are now allowed to be eaten 

 by Catholics during Lent. But it was not always so : formerly 

 eggs never figured on the tables of the faithful during the fast ; 

 but, on the Saturday previous to Easter, a great quantity of 

 eggs, held over for six weeks, was blessed and distributed among 

 friends on Easter Sunday. They were dyed yellow, violet, and 

 especially red, hence the origin of the red or Easter eggs. In the 

 reigns of Louis XIV and XV, after grand mass On Easter-Sunday, 

 pyramids of eggs gilded were taken to the cabinet of the king, 

 who distributed them to his courtiers. The custom of Easter 

 eggs is continued to the present time, although modified. Easter 

 eggs are no longer blessed nor gilded to be offered to sovereigns, 

 nor are they held over to Easter eve to receive brilliant colors. 

 A fortnight before Easter, in the coffee-houses and beer-shops 

 of Catholic cities, may be seen huge dishes of eggs of various 

 colors, which are eaten by the customers with their beer. And 

 in families a hard egg is added to the salad, after removing the 

 colored shell. 



The mutual presentation of colored eggs at Easter by friends 

 continues in Russia and all Catholic countries. Fowls' eggs 

 variously colored, and having flowers and other devices upon 

 them, formed by the coloring matter being picked off, so as to 

 expose the white shell of the egg, are a part of all the Malay enter- 

 tainments in Borneo. 



The eggs of the domestic fowl are the edible eggs par excel- 

 lence, but many others can be utilized for food. The egg of the 

 goose, which is larger, is inferior in quality ; in districts where 

 geese are bred they give, however, some benefit. The egg of the 

 duck, with a smoother shell, smaller and less rounded, is of a 

 greenish or dark white, the yolk is larger and of a deeper color 

 than that of other poultry eggs, and the white by cooking attains 

 a consistence like transparent isinglass. The egg of the pea-fowl 

 or guinea-hen has a thick and hard shell, flesh-colored ; the yolk 

 is proportionally much larger than the white. 



The common wild or gray lag goose is the origin of our domes- 

 tic goose. It used to be common and bred in our fens in former 

 years. The common goose begins to lay toward Candlemas, and 

 lays from nine to eleven eggs. If well fed, she will lay thirty-five 

 to forty eggs, and sometimes fifty, if the eggs are removed and 

 she is not allowed to set. The turkey-hen lays from twelve to 

 twenty eggs, rather smaller than those of the goose, which are 

 white, mixed with reddish or yellow freckles. They are very 



