Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-26

Yet they declare that
ostrich eggs sometimes explode like bomb
shells. Not long ago DIR. Bauer at the Smith
sonian Institution was the victim Of such an
accident. An ostrich egg in which he was
boring hole for the purpose Of extracting the
contents had become very much added and
the gases generated inside caused il to blow up
in his hand. the flying fragments Of shell cut
ting him severely. On at least two occasions
| similar occurrences have resulted in the serious
wounding OF persons. It should be remem-
bered that the shell Of An ostrich egg IL more
than a quarter Of an inch thick and extremely
hard.
TIE MAMMOTH 400 roo.
BY the way, the most interesting egg at the
Smithsonian Institution discounts the egg Of
the ostrich in point Of size. being Of q bigness
equal to l4s hens eggs. II is the egg Of roc,
such as Sinbad the Sailor described. Though
his account Of il vas somewhat exaggerated
that bird did actually exist only few hundred
wears ago in Madagascar, whence accounts Of it
were brought by voyaging Arabs. II is known
to science as the epiornis, and II stood ten feet
high in its bare feet. its leg bones being large
and heavy as those Of horse. Many Of the
eggs OF this gigantic fowl have been taken from
the graves OF native chiefs, in which they were
buried.
EGGS OF GIANT REPTILES.
But, the ornithologists say, it would be a
great mistake to suppose that the egg Of the
roc is the biggest that has ever been known.
Most, IL not all, of the giant reptiles OF the
mesozoic epoch laid eggs. Imagine how great
in bulk must have been the egg Of such a crea-
ture as the atlantosaur, which attained length
OF 100 feet from its nose to the end OF its tail
The mosasauIs of that wonderful period, which
were actual Iea serpents eighty feet long and
more, were egg layers. Science is rather in
clined to think that such sea serpents do in
reality e1ist n. the present day. How very
interesting it would be IL an egg of one OF them
should be discovered. Doubtless the eggs of
some Of these mighty reptiles of the past we're
at least three feet long, and they must have had
soft shells, like the eggs Of modern reptiles.
Presumably they were laid where they could be
Matched by the heat OF the sun. One nigh.
imagine such huge egg. in shape nearly cylin-
drical and purely white, lying on the shore of a
cretaceous sea- Presently it opens and out
crawls some such infant monster as the stego-
saur, which few years later will have length
of thirty feet, being clad in an armor Of mas
sive bony plates and possessing a brain in its
tail ten times as big as that in its skull.
THE MOST VALUABLE ECO.
The Smithsonian Institution. under the
auspices Of which the ornithologists held their
convention, possesses the most valuable egg in
the world. 1t is an egg of the great aux, which
became extinct about fifty years ago. The
value Of it is nominally g 500, but it could not
be purchased for that sum. Most people do
not realize that there are other eggs besides
those Of hens which have enormous commercial
value. In England so-called ''plovers' eggs, E"
which are really those Of lapwings, are sent TO
the city markets from the rural districts by
hundreds OF thousands. They are estesmed o
great delicacy and fetch a very high price. the
use Of them being for that reason confined al
most exclusively to the aristocracy and other
luxurious persons. Being only about the size
Of pigeons eggs good many of them are re-
OF gathering them from the nests in marshes
and wet fields. very extensive trade
exists in the eggs Of certain sea fowls,
chiefly the INJURIES and guillemots, which
congregate in vast numbers about Ice
land, Greenland. Labrador, the Hebrides and
north Pacific. Fleets Of vessels, known as
..eggers. are regularly employed in gathering
these eggs, which are az good to eat az those
laid by hens, though the flesh Of the birds is
too fishy to be edible. Much of what is known
as egg albumen," used by bakers and others
for cooking purposes, is manufactured from
the whites of these eggs and sent to market in
the shape Of a dry crystalized product resem-
bling fine glue in appearance. These sea fowls
eggs have one remarkable popularity. They
are nearly conical in form, broad at the base
and sharp at the point, so that they will only
Lodges of high rocks, from which they would
almost surely roll off save for this happy pro-
vision Of nature.
THE PRAIRIE COCKTAIL
One OF the ornithologists at the convention
spoke with high praise Of what he said was
known in the west as 'prairie cocktail" It lis
very much in favor with army officers, who de-
clare that il is the most effective OF all bracers
after too free indulgence in stimulsnts over
nigh The prescription is simply one raw egg
dropped in glass; foated in enough vinegar
to cover 1t, with pinch of salt and dash Of
pepper, and swallowed at gulp. Referring to
the commercial uses Of eggs it is worth men
uonipg that factory WAS established q few
years ago at Gloucester Mass, for the purpose
of making albumen for Photographic paper
from Goldfish eggs. Most people have seen the
the dark green eggs Of the emu. The Japanese
turn out a kind OF lacquer ware with a mosaic
surface composed Of pieces Of egg shell. II IL
an old story, by the way, that the Chinese bury
eggs for year and then dig them up. when
they have obtained flavor which renders them
much priced as delicacy. People all over the
United States send freak eggs to the Smith
sonian Institution, which has several speci-
mems, each containing . smaller egg complete,
while others resemble crook necked souashes,
with necks like jug handles. Eggs with two
yolks are not uncommon, and sometimes they
bring forth four-legged chickens. There IL in
Africa species Of tree snail which lays eRRs
resembling those Of pigeons, about the same
size and with hard shells.
BIRD YxArRrns.
DR.. Elliott Coues, noted Is an ofnitholo-
gist, says that the feather Of the bird il merely
the scale Of the lizard or serpent modified. II
IL known that all Of the birds are descended
from reptiles originally. Certain species Of
reptiles millions Of years ago sdopted arboreal
habits, jumping from bough TO bouSh. In the
course OF generations some Of them developed
such feathers n the penguin now possesses.
Some Of the penguin's feathers are hardly moro
than scales. consisting simply Of broad Fat
qpills without any barbs. In fact, the penguin
serves admirably to illustrate the manner in
which the scale was formed into the feather by
fraying out At the edges, - one might say.
FEATHER BONE
A new employment for feathers has recently
been found, the quilts Of domestic fowls being
split and quilted together for making what is
known as Feather bone" This Is utilized A a
substitute for whalebone in womeu's corvets.
Leaving ornamental purposes aside the most
important commercial use for feathers Is in.
the manufacture of ishermen's artificial flea
They are collected from all parts of the world
by agents who are sent out from Paris to pro-
cure the skins Of the rarest and most beautiful
birds. II is the damaged ones that are mostly
made available by the hymakers, who buy them
from the miIliners and taxidermists Nearly all
If the fhera sru thee xytc;- a &c..