vidity, besides which the roots of the
exhausted plant are boiled and eaten, possessing considerable nutritive
properties. The native people of New Zealand exhibit a similar appetite.
When the trunks of the tall kauri trees, which have been uprooted by
storms, have lain so long upon the moist ground that they begin to
decay, a large worm breeds in the decomposing wood; these, when arrived
at maturity, are eagerly grubbed for and devoured by the Maoris. Our
ideas of what constitutes proper food for human beings are governed by
very arbitrary rules. The Chinese consume dogs, cats, and rats; the
Japanese and Africans are fond of monkey flesh; the Parisians often eat
horse-meat from choice; while some of the South Sea Islanders have still
an appetite for human flesh. The London gourmand revels in snails, and
the New Yorker demands frogs upon his bill of fare. Is the New Zealander
so very exceptional in his fancy for wood-worms? Green goose and broiled
chicken are among the delicacies of our table, and yet there is
scarcely any sort of foul garbage which they will not consume as food.
Why is their flesh considered more delicate than any other?

The better dwellings of Tlaxcala are nearly all adobe houses, standing
in a rough, hilly region on the eastern slope of the mountains which
inclose the valley. It is difficult to conjecture what possible industry
keeps the place alive, for, though interesting to the thoughtful
traveler and the scientist, it has no visible business activity beyond
the exhibition of the antiquities to which we have referred, but seems
to smoulder in a sort of moss-grown, picturesque decay. The seats of the
old, half-forgotten, and neglected plaza were occupied by groups of idle
natives, who regarded us with a dull, sleepy interest. A few laden
burros passed through the streets bearing charcoal, wood, or bags of
grain, and others with high panniers of straw lashed in compact form.
They carried their noses close to the ground, picking up any edible
object--banana skins, orange peel, bits of garbage, and similar scraps.
This small creature which carries such enormous loads seems to eat
anything, no matter how little nutriment it contains, and, strange to
say, keeps in good flesh. The single candy shop under the arches beside
the plaza did a lively business with our party while we remained, its
members having suddenly developed a marvelous appetite for dulces.
Bright-eyed boys and girls, with a paucity of cl