The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1893-11-18
COLLECTORS OF EGGS.
INTERESTING WORK OF THE
ORNiTHOLOOIST
dow the Eggs of wild Birds Arc Fro
qnentiy Gathercd--studying tho Nests
or the Fcnthcrri Crsatu-eS -Thc'r
nabits-yL!u,b's speclmens

ing 10 inc OfnltnOlOElStS. Mr.
Ernest Ingersoll, a well.known OK
pert in this branch OF science, calls
attention to the fact that birds gen.
orally are to BE- found near to tho
abodes OF man. In places not for
from human habitations thcro III
usually good supply OF food, as well
AS shelter from enemies. So IL hap
pens that the smaller feathered crea-
turos particularly make themselves
neighbors OF mankind, building their
nests, rearing their young and OBJ
tanning their sustcnancc in and about
the roadside, orchard and garden,
instead OF seeking the lonely shades
of the forests. OF course exceptions
TO This general rulo are to be found
in the sea.fowl, tho wild and iicrco
hawks and some marsh birds, the
last by nature exceedingly crcmite
and solitary.
Thus it happens that the collector
Of eggs does not have to explore tho
deserts and other lonely lands in
order TO supply material for his
cabinet. The birds whose nests no
seeks to rob arc mostly discovered
near Mt hand. True. he must often
exert much ingenuity to find certain
varieties. A method sometimes
adopted Is to put in some place whore
il can be easily seen bunch OF hay.
on straw, or cotton, watching it to
observe whittier the fowls OF the air
which come to il for ncst-mukinc
stuff wing their flight But in many
instances the nests when found arc
worry difficult to reach. This is the
case with some Of the sea birds,
vertical faces OF ellis Usually these
cliffs overhang the surf or some deep
chasm in the mountains. so as to DO
hopclcssly inaccessible from below.
Then it is a question of getting at tho
eggs from above, which Is often u
matter OF great difficulty and danger. !
Quite number Of egg collectors
have lost their lives in trying to rob,
nests in the faces OF lofty scaward!
cliffs, Commonly Il rope is en-
ploycd for making the descent from
the summit of such a crag. 70 at
tempt that sort OF thing alone and
unassistcd is extremely perilous.
The rope is apt to be fraycd through
by the rock, so as to prccipitatc tho
adventurous climber to the bottom. :
The hcst way to get over this diffi-l
Guilty is to rig u sort Of pulley at the
edge of the cliff through which the
rope may run, This is troublesome.
but it paws when valuable specimens
reward the c(furt Anyone who I'M
dcrstands the business will mako
sure to have ut least ono companion;
with him, and the person lowered
should always be securely fastened
TO tho rope. lest fit OF dizziness,
such as may attack the most cX-l
pcricnccd individual, should renders
him helpless and unable to hold On.
biologists nowadays usually take!
the nests us we'll az the eggs. Thcl
former are deemed important Us cX-,
hibiting the work OF the birds. In
their construction the ingenuity OF,
the fcathered creatures is chiefly cH-,
hibitcd. Besides. the structure of
them is most interesting. What
can surpass, says an oruithologist,
y
home, glued to messy branch, or.
nesting in the point of pendent
leaf: the virco's sbkcn hammock; tho.
orioles gracefully swaying purse;
the backbird's model basket in tho
llags tho snug little caves of the
marsh wrcns; the hermit huts OF tho
sly wagtails, or the stout forircsscs
Of the socia5lc swallowsp"
Nests that arc built in ltrces and
bushes are best secured bylsawing OIL
tho branches to which they arc at
tachcd. For this purpose the col
Icctor carries knife with u saw
blade. The nest should never be de-
tachcd from tho branch on which il,
has been built. Nests of other kinds.
such as have been constructed on the
ground, may have TO be tied together
with II string before they are taken
away, lest they be broken. Tho
swallow and the phoebe bird make
their nests of mud, and these must
be fitted tightly into boxes to keep
them from crumbling. In order that
nests may not be destroyed by in
scots or decay it is very necessary
that they shall be subjected to %
process of ds.nfection before they
arc put away. Ono way to do this is
to put tho nest in box perforated
with few pin holes. together with
small sponge saturated with ear
bolic acil. Another method is to
blow tho nest full of Persian insect,
powder, which may DC blown out
again after few hours
The eggs, If they arc fresh, should
DO ompticd OF thoir contents as soon
as they are taken. They can be car
riod more safely when empty. II
they contain ombryos, however, this
should not be attempted. In old
times eggs were commonly blown by
breaking hole at each end. taking
out the contents, and stringing tho
shells for ornaments. The oologist
docs pot approve OF depriving birds
~ fhair p0Oa fpr euch m fpivnl oue