OCR Text |
Show SEA WORM SAMOAN DELICACY" Its Infrequent Arrival Always Mado the Occasion for the Holding of a Great Festival. Palolo. the most prized of nil pusta-' tory delicacies in Samoa, declared by Americans who have tried It to be superior su-perior to the lobster. Is a marine-worm, marine-worm, being rather mysterious In that It Is never seen save on two or three? nights in the entire year. Its appearance appear-ance seems to be regulated by the moon. The palolo chooses the time for Its-first Its-first appearance on the night wheu. the October moon changes. When the-moon the-moon rises the sea Is seen to be alive-wit alive-wit h wriggling green and browi worms, some of them a yard or more-In more-In length. The natives make a festival of the occasion, going out with dip nets among the reefs and scooping up-the up-the worms by the bushel. They paddle pad-dle around in every available boat with lighted torches waiting for the-moon, the-moon, and then the scene becomes one-of one-of great and joyous excitement. The palolo comes once again when the November moon quarters, and ie-not ie-not seen again until the following year. ' It is said to live in crannies of the-coral the-coral reefs, coming to the surface to-spawn to-spawn at these lunar periods. Some of the worms are eaten as they wiggle, but the bulk of the catch is reserved; for a big feast on the following day, when they are wrapped in banana leaves and baked. |