THE CUTTLE-FISH USED FOR FOOD. 93 



his prey, they dexterously spear, ere the creature 

 has time to dart with the rapidity of an arrow from 

 the weapon about to transfix his soft but firm body. 

 As in ancient times these mollusks constitute 

 now a valuable part of the food of the poor, by 

 whom they are chiefly used. The imprecation 

 of the chorus, who calling down upon their 

 victim the extremity of ill-fortune, desired that 

 he might be reduced to a single cuttle-fish, and 

 that a dog might come and snatch this last 

 poor morsel from him,* would be as well appre- 

 ciated in a modern Greek coffee-house, where 

 curses deep and lengthy are now liberally be- 

 stowed by enraged gamblers on their successful 

 opponents, as among the original admirers of 

 Aristophanes. The Romans, if we may judge 

 from the culinary receipts of Apicius, regarded a 

 cooked cuttle-fish with more respect. We can 

 ourselves bear testimony to its excellence. 

 When well beaten, to render the flesh tender, 

 before being dressed, and then cut up into mor- 

 sels and served in a savoury brown stew, it makes 

 a dish by no means to be despised, excellent in 

 both substance and flavour. A modern Lycian 

 dinner in which stewed cuttle-fish formed the 

 * In the Acharnes of Aristophanes. 



