Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-03-27
EGGS WORTH 500 APIECE.
Empty Shells that are Valued n Much
More Than They weigh in Gold.

Empty Shells that are Valued n Much
More Than They Weigh in Gold.
Perhaps the most valuable collection
in birds eggs in this country is the
property of Prof Thomas G. Gentry,
Of Philadelphia, who is the author OF
The Nests and Eggs of Birds Of North
America" He spent four years col
lecting the specimens, some OF which
are worth to collectors 500 apiece.
He recently showed them to reporter
for The Record in Philadelphia. The
handsomest eggs in the collection is a
set of six laid by the white ptarmigan,
bird related to the grouse family and
which is found in Labrador. The eggs
are beautiful shade of golden brown
with black dots and lines, no two Of
which are alike. The foolish guilt
mot a bird which only lays one egg
and leaves that upon stones, depend
ing on the heat of the sun for incuba-
ton, except in cloudy or stormy
weather, when the female covers them
until the sun appears, is represented by
seven beautiful specimens. OF the
Greenland elder duck, five eggs of an
olive hue are found in the collection.
These were presented to Prof. Gentry
by Erastus Corning, of New York.
The nest accompanied them. and is
made of feathers plucked from the
body of the bird. Two eggs Of the
Iceland gyrfalcon, about the size of an
ordinary chickens eggs. of deep amber
color smeared with darker shade, and
valued at 500 each, lie alongside Of two
eggs of the turkey buzzard of Florida:
These are blue, with brown blotches.
and are laid in the cavity of log. Both
the male and female take turns in per-
forming the incubating process. Ape
culiar egg is that of the red fiamingo,
found in the Bahama islands.
The soft shell is like chalk and leaves
white mark wherever it is deposited.
An egg of the golden eagle, the size of
a goose egg, two eggs of the bald eagle.
two eggs of the gray sea eagle, and
three eggs of the fish-hawk (Which builds
a nest five feet wide) are among the
curiosities of the professors collection.
Another rarity is set of two eggs Of
the inaqua heron, of the Bahama islands,
which were discovered by Mr.. Charles
B. Cory, of Boston, and presented to
Prof. Gentry. But one other set has
ever been collected. As natural curl
osity in egg-laying the professor exhib-
tied a set of eggs of the piping plover,
found on Seven Mile Beach, N. j. This
bird does not build nest, but scoops a
, hole in the sand in the midst of the bro
ken shells, always laying eggs with the
points together. They are the color Of
sand, covered with dots to resemble for
eign substances, and are not easily rec
ognized.
This nest is worth $780," said the
professor, as he opened a handsome cab
met and took out what appeared to be
seven large beans. The collection was,
however. a complete set Of eggs of the
golden-crowned kinglet, found on the
coast Of Labrador, only two of which
can be found in collections in the Uni
ted States, and are highly valued by egg
collectors. Each drawer of the cabinet
as it was opened, displayed new COM
binations in colors. Many of the speci-
mems had their beauty enhanced by the
glossy surface which nature had provid-
ed, while others were adorned with
such varied tints as to lead one to believe
that the hand of man had applied the
colors. A set of eggs of the least tit. OF
California, is highly priced. This bird,
though only the size of wren, builds a
nest twenty-five inches long. four inches
wide, and ten inches deep. Its eggs are
about the size of peanut kernels. Next
to them in the cabinet is . set Of eggs OF
the cactus wren, of California, which
builds a nest of the size of half bushel
of cactus spines to protect its little ones
from intruders. Prof. Gentry has in his
possession the largest set Of eggs of the
ruffled grouse ever known to be found
in one nest. The set comprised twenty.
two specimens, but as the family is
polygamous they were not probably laid