What will be said to spiders as food? But these form an article in the
list of the Bushman’s dainties in South Africa, according to Sparrman;
and the inhabitants of New Caledonia, Labillardiere tells us, seek
for, and eat with avidity, large quantities of a spider nearly an
inch long, which they roast over the fire. Even individuals amongst
the more polished nations of Europe are recorded as having a similar
taste; so that if you could rise above vulgar prejudices, you would
in all probability find them a most delicate morsel. If you require
precedents, Reaumur tells us of a young lady, who, when she walked in
her grounds, never saw a spider that she did not take and crunch upon
the spot. Another female, the celebrated Anna Maria Schurman, used to
eat them like nuts, which she affirmed they much resembled in taste,
excusing her propensity by saying that she was born under the sign
_Scorpio_.
If you wish for the authority of the learned: Lalande, the celebrated
French astronomer, was equally fond of these delicacies, according
to Latreille. And if, not content with eating spiders seriatim, you
should feel desirous of eating them by handfuls, you may shelter
yourself under the authority of the German immortalized by Rosel, who
used to spread them upon bread like butter, observing that he found
them very useful.[34]
These edible spiders, and such like, are all sufficiently disgusting,
but we feel our nausea quite turned into horror when we read in
Humboldt, that he has seen the Indian children drag out of the earth
centipedes 18 inches long, and more than half an inch broad, and devour
them.