Publisher's Synopsis
From the introductory: EGGS AS FOOD.THERE is perhaps no other article of diet which is more important as a food than eggs, and few articles are served in a greater variety of ways or more largely consumed. Besides those of the domestic fowl, the eggs of the duck, the goose, the guinea fowl, the plover, the ostrich and several other birds, and the turtle, are also used for cooking purposes. Hens' eggs are, of course, the most popular, and for ordinary use are therefore most common. Dr. Langworthy, in his article, "Eggs and their Uses," gives the following interesting information: - "Other eggs besides those of birds are sometimes eaten. Turtle eggs are highly prized in most countries where they are abundant. They were once more commonly eaten in America than now, possibly owing to the more abundant supply in former times. The eggs of the terrapin are usually served with the flesh in some of the ways of preparing it for the table. Fish eggs, especially those of the sturgeon, are eaten in large quantities, preserved with salt, under the name of caviar. Shad roe is also a familiar example of the use of fish eggs as food. Mention may also be made of the use of the eggs of alligators, lizards, serpents, and some insects, by races who lack the prejudices of Western nations. However, in general, the term 'eggs, ' when used in connection with food topics, refers to the eggs of birds, usually domestic poultry, and is so used in this article. "The appearance of an egg - the shell with its lining of membrane, enclosing the white and yolk - is too familiar to need any discussion. The physiological structure of the egg is perhaps less familiar. A fertile egg contains an embryo, and is at the same time a storehouse of material for the development and growth of the young individual from the embryo, until it has reached such a stage that life is possible outside the narrow limits of the shell. The embryo is situated quite close to the yolk, which furnishes the nutritive material for its early development, the white being used later."
