The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-11-27
LOOKING FOR NESTS.
PREDATORY HANDS WHICH The
BIRDS SOON LEARN TO FEAR.
An Old Taxidermist's Story-studying the
PecuiiarIties OF BIRD Nature-Ex-
change OF Eggs Among Collect
- ors-Prsserving the Eggs
New York Sun.l


Is in making collection OF their eggs" said
an old taxidsrmiss In adown.town street as
he wound q ball Of tow around small but
stiff wire, and then inserted the same into
him on the table. The shop was filed with
mounted birds In every position Big cranes
stool up in corners and peered with lifelike
naturalness out at the cases In which hoeks
Of smaller birds hovered in and about arti-
icial trees. These little groups were TASTE
fully arranged, and the birds well chosen.
A hawk and kingbird, sworn enemies, did
not rest together on the same bough, nor
was water bird holding q tete-a- tete with
O land bird
"Some will tell you," said the old man,
"that shooting birds to make bird skins OF
them Il q better way, but believe In egg
collecting, for then you do not kill the bird
but simply watch its habits and learn lit
tie Of bird life Then, In making colleo-
tion Of bird skins You cannot mount them
all and must pack them away in boxes,
where they are no uss to your friends.
Now, take this meadow lark for an instance.
How many times you have seen one OF this
birds brothers-for 1t Is q male, the brighter
plumage shows .that-as he walks rapidly
through the lately -mown meadow, or per.
haps resting on the top Of one Of the hay
cooks, yet how few have ever discovered the
nest tun, sled under tuft OF grass In the
old field. The little hollow Is lined with
soft grasses and o cozier little home can not
be found, for the old bird Is there to pro-
tect the eggs from the meadow mole that
runs over the field and other enemieI
STUDYING BIRD NATURE.
@Now, mind you, do not advocate whole
sale robbery Of nests, as the small boys do
who, fired with zeal to make a COLLECTION,
not from love OF observing birds and
studying bird nature, but because the eggs
are pretty and some other boy has collec-
ton, rob every robins nest within reach
They all ought to be whipped for every egg
they steal But for q true lover of natural
history there is no more pleasing occupa-
tion. The danger of depopulation OF. the
rarer birls is not great for in the first place
their nests ars very hard to find, and the
true bird lover will not take the eggs Of the
same species but once. Besides. most birds
will Immediately lay another set OF eggs IL
robbed"
The old taxiermst had been a collector
himself and knew its charm. Indeed, In
his own window were several nests full OF
eggs, presided over by their desd owners a.
mounted guard.
"Are there many collectors of birds eggsP
asked the young man as he watched the old
man dress down the feathers OF the meadow
lark he had brought in.
1Oh, yes there arc o good many scat
tered throughout the country. AMI many
have pretty collections too. Quito traffic
Is carried on in birds eggs. though. am
sorry to say, 1t Is mostly young follows WIN
do not care so much for the knowledge OF
bird life as for the eggs themselves. The
eggs have q market value. OF course, the
rarer the bird or the greater the difficulty
OF finding the nest. the more valuable the
egg. This mea low larks eggs ars worth 3D.
cents apiece. IL Is common bird AMI thu
experienced collector will find tho nest with
out much difficulty, though the beginner
will travel throus b meadow for week
without coming across it. That owls egg
In my window Is valued at $2.50. A great
many kinds are worth from 10 cents to
l.5O, and some Of the rarer eggs are re-
tailed as high as $50. or more II owned
great auk's egg, species now extinct
though it Is not 50 long as the bird could
bs found In the northern region, q fabulous
price 1t would bring
EXCHANGE OF EGGS.
1Then, too, q good deal Of exchanging is
done, especially among the young fellows.
will BE- very glad to send on to you some OF
the birds eggs to be found in that section
for eggs that you can get in New York or
New Jersey without much trouble, crows'
eggs for example. A prics list OF a reputa-
BILE dealer in birds eggs will be taken as a
basis of exchange"
3Don't you sometimes get cheated In buy
ing or exchanging eggs at distanceiT
@Yes, quite often, but you must look out
for that onoo got letter from col
lector in Michigan that he had set Of vel
vet ducks eggs, Now, the velvet duck IL
an exceedingly rare species of the wild duck
family. They nest In Labrador and the
British America regions, and few OF their
nests are found. In dimensions they ars
about the six, OF hens eggs. Isent for some.
and on receiving them found they were
altogether too much lk, hens eggs. Un
breaking one open found bit Of the yolk
which was yet soft, showing that tho eggs
had been blown only few days before. As
this was In the middle OF winter, it was evi.
dent that they ceme from the barnyari.
Sometimes the eggs Of different species are
alike in sixe and color aud. OF course. then
deception will be practiced sometimes. and
spurious eggs get In fine collection Per-
haps. though, II one thinks that his egg Is
oushousic 10 ohpys" JuSe os shucn-
PROFESSIONAL KNACK.
ut II astonishing" continued the taxider.
mist, @how soon ono gets the. knack of find
ing out the hidden nests OF birds, and how
quickly one notes by the birds movements
thae nest Is near. Sometimes rare
species will come and nest In your own
yard, and sometimes some not so rare ROr
instance. one day left the door Of q closet
open In which my collection was kept and n
hen walked In and quietly dropped an egg
on the cotton that was stored away TO be
used In tho collection box"
IHow are the eggs pressrvsdT
AN the simplest manner. A small hole l.
drilled In the side OF the egg, and the con-
, tsuts removed by means OF q Slow-pipe.
Than tho interior Of the shell Is washed out
with water and allowed to drain through
ths drilled bole on piece Of blotting-paper.
That Ii ell chat Is necessary; the shell will
keep all right, and the spots seldom fade.
Tho data Of collection and number to show
the species ID them written on tho side In
which the hole h drilled Then the egg Is
ready to be placed on q layer of cotton or
sAwdust in tho box or cabinet where tho
rollactiau In In ha irouf 70