The parts that are eaten are chiefly the hind quarters.
196. In America the species called BULL-FROGS, which sometimes measure eighteen inches and upwards in length, from the nose to the hind feet, are not unfrequently adopted as food.
197. The CROCODILE and ALLIGATOR (Lacerta crocodilus and alligator) are two immense animals of the lizard tribe, the principal distinction between which is founded on the head and part of the neck of the former being more smooth than those of the latter; and in the snout being proportionally more wide and flat, as well as more rounded at the extremity.
The length of the crocodile, when full grown, is from eighteen to about twenty-five feet; and that of the alligator somewhat less. Crocodiles are chiefly found in the river Nile; and alligators in rivers and lakes of some parts of America.
The flesh of both these animals has a strong, unpleasant, and somewhat musky flavour; yet it is eaten by the natives of most of the countries in which they are found. It is white and juicy; and the parts that are preferred are those about the belly and tail. The flesh of the young ones is, however, said to be devoid of any unpleasant taste, and to be sufficiently palatable even to Europeans. The eggs also are eaten. Of the teeth of the alligator, which are as white as ivory, the Americans make snuff-boxes, charges for guns, and several kinds of toys.
There is an unfounded opinion that the upper jaws of these animals are moveable; and that they have no tongue. They swim with great velocity, and sometimes float asleep on the rivers, like immense logs of wood. Their voracity is excessive; springing in a very surprising manner upon animals on which they prey, they instantly drag them into the water, sink to the bottom, and there devour them. The females deposit their eggs, from eighty to a hundred in number, in the sand, and leave them to be hatched by the heat of the sun.
198. The GUANA (Lacerta iguana, Fig. 55) is a species of lizard, four or five feet in length, which has a round and long tail; the back with an elevated ridge of scales; and the throat with a pouch that is capable of being inflated to a large size.
These animals are found among rocks, or in woods, in several parts of India and America. In Surinam, Guiana, and Cayenne, they are very numerous: and they are occasionally caught in the West Indian islands.
Scarcely any species of animal food is so much admired by epicures in hot climates as the flesh of the guana. It is preferred even to that of the turtle, and is cooked in various ways, being roasted, boiled, or converted into soup. The fat of these animals, after having been melted and clarified, is applicable to many uses. The flesh is sometimes salted, and exported for sale to distant countries.
There are several modes of catching guanas. In many parts of America they are chased by dogs, which are trained purposely to this pursuit. Frequently they are caught with snares placed near their haunts, and sometimes by a noose of cord affixed to the end of a long rod.