A Naturalist at the Dinner TableDuckworth, 1927 - 160 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
amongst angler animal appear average Axolotl bêche bird blood boar boiled breeds British caught cheese coast Cochin Cochin China colour common cooked course crayfish creature crustaceans cuttlefish delicacy diet diner dish domestic domestic turkey eaten eating edible eggs Egyptians England esteemed fact farm fattened feet female fishermen fishery flat fish flavour flesh fowl France Frank Buckland fresh frog geese giant gills goose hatched head hors d'œuvre hundred inhabiting insects Islands jungle fowl known large number larvæ length liver lobster lobsters and crabs Marenne megrims menu milk million mollusc months mouth mussel native nests octopus ormer oyster palate placed popular poultry pound regarded rennet resemble restaurants rivers salmon Sergius Orata sheep shell shores skin snail soup species specimens Squilla starfish swimming tail taste thousand tion trawler trout Tunny turkey turtle usually whilst wild woodcock young
Popular passages
Page 12 - The man had sure a palate covered o'er With brass, or steel, that on the rocky shore First broke the oozy oyster's pearly coat And risked the living morsel down his throat.
Page 127 - scape the poulterer's knife ! But man, curs'd man, on Turkeys preys, And Christmas shortens all our days. Sometimes with oysters we combine, Sometimes assist the savoury chine ; From the low peasant to the lord, The Turkey smokes on every board. Sure men for gluttony are curs'd, Of the seven deadly sins the worst.
Page 159 - At the first dawn of day they may be felt by the hand swimming on the surface of the water ; and as the day advances their numbers increase, so that by the time the sun has risen, thousands may be observed in a very small space, sporting merrily during their short visit to the surface of the ocean. On the second day they appear at the same time and in a similar manner, but in such countless myriads that the surface of the ocean is covered with them for a considerable extent. On each day, after sporting...
Page 23 - Oysters pickled, stewed, baked, roasted, fried, and scolloped ; oysters made into soups, patties, and puddings ; oysters with condiments and without condiments; oysters for breakfast, dinner, and supper ; oysters without stint or limit — fresh as the pure air, and almost as abundant — are daily offered to the palates of the Manhattanese, and appreciated with all the gratitude which such a bounty of nature ought to inspire.
Page 73 - In other respects men say that the Egyptians are clever, in that they esteem the eel to be equal to a god ; but they are far more valuable than the gods, for we can propitiate them by prayer, but as for eels, we must spend twelve drachmas or more merely to get a smell at them.
Page 79 - ... forget Winander Meer, which makes the utmost northern bounds of this shire, which is famous for the char fish found here and hereabout, and no where else in England ; it is found indeed in some of the rivers or lakes in Swisserland among the Alps, and some say in North Wales ; but I question the last. It is a curious fish, and, as a dainty, is potted, and sent far and near, as presents to the best friends ; but the quantity they take also is not great.
Page 155 - ... congregate during the day on some small islands in the bay, hanging by thousands on the trees, especially on dead ones. They can then be easily caught or knocked down with sticks, and are brought home by...
Page 73 - Another writer quoted by Athenseus (the Athenian comic poet Anexandrides) thus very amusingly contrasts the manners of the Egyptians with those of his fellow-countrymen : — " I never could associate with you, for neither do our laws or customs agree with yours, but differ widely. You worship an ox, but I sacrifice him to the gods ; you esteem an eel as the greatest deity, we think him by far the best of all fish food ; you don't eat pork, I am particularly fond of it ; you worship a dog, I beat...
Page 159 - ... of their appearance. At the first dawn of day they may be felt by the hand swimming on the surface of the water ; and as the day advances their numbers increase, so that by the time the sun has risen, thousands may be observed in a very small space, sporting merrily during their short visit to the surface of the ocean. On the second day they appear at the same time and in a similar manner, but in such countless...
Page 159 - November, during portions of two days in each month, viz. the day before and the day on which the moon is in her last quarter. "They appear in much greater numbers on the second than on the first day of their rising, and are only observed for two or three hours in the early part of each morning of their appearance. At the first dawn of day they may be felt by the hand swimming on the surface of the water...