18 
EDIBLE BRITISH MOLLUSKS. 
the escargots brought to the Marche de la Bourse, at 
Nantes, on Sundays and/e/e days, amounted in number 
to 996,000, producing the sum of 2490 francs.* 
We read that formerly, in Paris, snails were only to 
be found in the herbalists’ shops and at the chemists’ ; 
but now there is a special place for them in the fish 
market, by the side of the crayfish and other freshwater 
fishes ; and in nearly all the restaurants you may see 
dishes of Helix pomatia displayed in the windows. They 
are ready cooked, and only require warming for a few 
minutes on the gridiron. It is from Troyes, at the 
price of five francs the hundred, that the apple or vine 
snail is sent to Paris, boiled in their shells, and seasoned 
with fresh butter mixed with parsley. When you wish 
to partake of them, you place them before the fire till 
the butter melts, and then they are fit to eat. I pur- 
chased some, and succeeded in eating two, but with 
difficulty, as the way they were dressed did not disguise 
the slimy, soapy taste, and the want of salt, pepper, 
etc., made them most unpalatable. I felt that I could 
sympathize with Dr. Black and Dr. Hutton, who also 
endeavoured to eat a dish of stewed snails ; but, after 
vainly attempting to swallow in very small quantities 
the mess which each internally loathed, Dr. Black at 
length ^ showed the white feather,’ but in a very delicate 
manner, as if to sound the opinion of his messmate. 
^Doctor,’ he said, in his precise and quiet manner, 
^ Doctor, do you not think that they taste a little — a 
very little — green ?’ ^ Green ! green, indeed ! Take 
them awa’ ! take them awa’ !” vociferated Dr. Hutton, 
* ‘ Catalogue des Eadiaires, des Annelides, des Cirrliipedes, et des 
Mollusques marius, terrestres et fluviatiles, recueillis dans le departe- 
meut de la Loire-Inferieure,’ par Frederic Cailliaud, de Nantes, p. 222. 
