made of them in Apicius de re culinaria: but Ludovicus Cælius Rhodiginus, in his Antiq. Lectiones, tells us, that Phryges ac Pontici, vermes albidos, obesosque, capite nigricante, qui è cariosis premuntur materiis, inter delicias habent, ac xylophagia comedisse luxuria est. And Ælian de Animalibus, in the 14. Book, Chap. 13. p. 817. has to this purpose this passage. Inter cætera animalium naturæ propria hoc quogue non omiserim. Indorum rex secundis mensis & bellariis non iisdem delectatur quibus Græci, qui palmarum pumilarson fructus expetunt. At ille vermem quendam in planta quadam nascentem secundis mensis igne tostum adhibet, (and so the Indians and Negros in Jamaica eat them at this Day) suavissimum quidem illum in Indi aiunt, & eorum qui gustaverunt nonnulli asserunt, quibus ego fidem habuerim.
Also, John de Mandeville tells us, that in a certain island call'd Talache, were, vermes similes iis, qui in lignis putridis existunt, hosque principibus in mensis apponi.
Likewise St. Hierom in his second Book against Jovian in the second Tome of his Works, Francfort Edit. p. 53. has this Passage to this purpose; namely, In Ponto & Phrygia vermes albos & obesos, qui nigello capite sunt, & nascuntur in lignorum carie, pro magnis reditibus paterfamilias exigit. Et quomodo apud nos Attagen & ficedula, mullus & scarus in deliciis computantur, ita apud illos ξυλόφαγον comedisse luxuria est.
Aristotle does extremely extol young soft Cicadæ, and has been at the Pains in his History of Animals, to tell us, that the time to kill them to the best Advantage, is the Males ante coitum, and the Females after, when they are most savoury.
Athenæus speaks of a Marriage Dinner, where one of the greatest Dishes were Cicadæ salted and dried.
As for Locusts or Grashoppers, 'tis most certain, that as they are a Curse to some Places, by devouring the Fruits of the Earth, so they are a great Blessing to others, where the Inhabitants feed on them, and are destitute of other Provisions. They are only dry'd in an Oven, and so kept, or powder'd and mixt with Milk, and, as I have been told, by those us'd to them, they eat like Shrimps.
Lopez de Gomara tells us (Hist. general de las Indias, cap. 69.) that after the West-Indians (in the Continent about Santa Martha) had been overcome by the Spaniards, they found many Baskets of Provisions the Indians had gathered to Traffick with the People further within Land: the Provisions were these Cangrejos, Land-Crabs, which burrough in the Ground like Rabbets, feed on Vegetables, and far exceed ours in taste, Caracoles sin cascara, or naked Snails. Cicadæ, of which before, grillos Crickets, & langostas de las que destruyen los panes secas y Salados, Locusts or Grashoppers.
After
