Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-12-17
RARE BIRD EGGS.
The Curious Assortment Which Savan'
nah Man Has Collected.

nan Alan has OOlieclcu
"TIow's your collection of eggs COM
ing on?" asked reporter of Mr.. Troup
Perry?
Nicely" was the reply. "Tyc just
got in some now ones, and if you've a
few minutes to spare you'll lind them
worth looking at
The New5 man went with Mr.. Perry
to his residence, and there saw more
kinds and varieties of eggs than he had
dreamed were in existence. There were
eggs of all sizes, shapes and colors,
from the size of the tiny titmcase, as
large as q pea, to that of the ostrich,
large enough TO make square meal for
two hungry men. The eggs are al
classified and labeled, each set of from
one to dozen or more in separate
apartment. :,
"Show me some Of the rarest ones,
asked the reporter
"Wcll, here's about the smallest egg
in the world. 1t is laid by the California
ttmouse. They are quite common
though, and are remarkable only for
their S re. Here's something not found
every day, the rock wren's egg. 1t is
found in California, too. The little
fellows build their nests all along the
Pacific coast in the crevices of the rocks.
Then here's the thrush's egg. They
are quite common. have eighteen
varieties of them. This is one called
the Scvainosus warbler, which was the
first to discover. / found these eggs on
May 10 year ago. They are found
only in Georgia and South Carolina
This is something l prize very highly
the Florida Towhee. There are but
two sets in the United States, and this
is one of them. Here's the black snow
birds egg from New Brunswick. the
hv-catcher from Arizona and one from
Arkansas. And here's something that
lots OF people get mixed up-the whip
poor-w.ll and chuck-will-the-widow.
The egg of the latter is about twice The
size Of The former, This is funny fel-
low, the scarlet tanager. 1t never
builds its own nest, but lays in tho first
nest it comes across"
Mr. Perry brought out the eggs of the
bobolink from Vermont, which visit
here in the winter as the rice bird; thu
startling from England, the cow bir'
from Yucatan, five varieties of the black
bird; six of the lark, including on
ON Mexico, and four varieties Of tn,
oridle. One of tho most curious of al
was that of the burrowihg of Cali
forna, which bl.ldS its nest in hol
from six to ten feet under ground. An
other collection was that OF the Ameri
can eagle from Cabbage island. Thi
is white egg about the size of goos
egg, with an unusually rough surface
/ Then there is the wild turkey, ruile
! grouse, plover, ilamingo, sand hill
crane, pelican, woodcock, gannet, snak
bird, horned owl, buzzard, crow, gu
r and hundreds of others which it woul
4 be almost impossible TO mention.
1--WE been about five years gett n
i this collection on, said Mr.. Perry
1 "and haven't near as many as | wal
y now"
\ "About how many different kint
!. have you got already"
$ about four hundred "
n "IIow do you get your specimen
r from the Western States and across VI
O ocean,"
It "By exchanging. You SEQ alwa!
II get rs many sets as | can of n kind TIN
q | find around here, and can alwa.
n exchange them for something that
hovnn'f 0nt There's ono thOuuh th;
o have to buy, the tufted putin, from
# Pacific island. 1t cost me $3.50.
IS "What is my collection worthP Wei
c according TO the system under which
o have it classified (Ridway's), it is wort
/ every cent of $1,000"
l. The collecto on represents almost even
}. country in the world, and it required
q great deal of time and patience to put
!. together. Savqnnah (Ga.) Ne'oS,