The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1896-01-11
EGGS THAT COST MONEY.
One Variety Held at d 5000 u Isosen and
Not Warranted Str1Gtlies Either.

| Not Warranted Str2Gtlees Ei6D3rs
1t is not generally known that AMONG
the fads of the day the collecting OF
| birds eggs is one that interests the
cultured and wealthy, dnd one that ma y
be very extensively INDUCED iii; y lille
| it affords Il mild recreation to thollEu nds
| of individuals of moderate means. The
scientific collection of birds eggs has,
| in fact, become fascinating avocatinn,
Ind. tightly studied, a pursuit to which
the systematic study of birds, theii. hi.
| olos,y, and the laws governing their et1-
luton, is largely indebted, as acknovl-
| edged by no less an authority than Prof.
| Huxley himself, who shotted that u
study of the markings and shape Of the
eggs of the species aided materially in
establishing the close relationship Of
| the Litnicoloe (ploycrs) and the Gavioe
| (gulls and terns).
Aside from it's scientific value, the
collecting of birds eggs ei,tices the en-
thusiast by the marvellous diversity iii
size, shape and markings of the eggs,
fifty painted by nature herself to alorn
the richest cabinet.
The raptores, or birds Of prey, are a
3avorite family with biologists, largely
from the endurance, daring and nerve
requisite in scaling cliffs and lofty trees
to secure their eggs, which are often,
as in the case Of the golden eagle, beau
tifully marked. This grand eagle SCI
dom attacks the pldnderer of it's eggs,
though it is unsafe to anger the Ina-
este bird when it's nest contains young.
The eggs are two. and sometimes three,
large, and show great variation in the
markings of purple, lavender and rich
brown, blotched or suffused over the
surface of the shell. In Califol mia,
where these eagles are most numerous,
a lofty live oak tree is frequently Sc
1ected as a site for the huge nest of
sticks, with its lining Of Spanish, moss,
used by the birds year after year for
generations. ledge on a cliff is also
81 common resting place, and out in Wy
oming an eagle has found a perfectly
safe place to raise it's young on the fiat
top of n giant rock. The nest is in plain
view, but is ihaccessib1e.
The California condor-a bird with q
sweep of wing ten feet from tip to tip,
and the largest bird Of flight in the
world, not excepting the great Andes
condor-is species of much interest
to biologists from the extreme rarity
and value of it's eggs. This condor is
becoming extinct, like the great aux;
and, as if it had forecast of it's impe nd
ing doom, it resorts to the most pre-
cipitous mountain, where, on some
craggy and perhaps inaccessible steep,
1T deposits its single egg of pale, grcch-
1sh blue in a cave. But seven eggs are
known in collections, and the value of
one considering the probability of the
great birds early eNtinction) is very
great. More than 81 500 has been paid
for n single egg of the great aux, Of
which there are 6S eggs in existence.
America can claim t>vo-ohe Mt Vassar
college and one at the academy of nat
ural sciences in Philadelphia. The lat
ter collection held for many years
among the rarities an egg of the Cali
fornia condor, but it mysteriously dis
appeared few years ago. and it is sup
posed some scientific lleptomaniac
thought it no sin to transfer the treas
ure to his own collections, where he is
holding it for a rise in price.
Information as to the nesting habits
of the California condor has been OK.
ceeding1y limited, and until 1859, when
an egg was taken for II. n. Taylor, ed
itor of the Nidiologist, no eggs had been
taken since the sos. The taking of this
in May, and that but one egg is laid.
The collector secured the great egg after
a hazardous climb down a rope, which
he had fastened to bush on the bluff
above. The condor's egg was found ly-
ing in a hollow in the cave, with few
feathers for a nest. The condors had
been frightened off by the discharge OF
the collectors gun, and fortunately did
not return while he was in the cave. He
had not come prepared to carry any
eggs, but taking off his shirt he wrapped
the egg in it and lowered it to the hot
tom of the cliff, himself following it
safely.
Mr.. Walter L. Bryant, for many years
curator of birds in the California acad-
cmy of sciences, showed what o col
lectc may endure for science on one of
his expeditions to Lower California.
island, lying $50 miles off
the coast of Lower California, was al
most an unknown territory to bird stu-
dents, and he determined to visit it.
The island is uninhabitetl, and vessels
do not usually pass near it, SO it was
some time before he managed to secure
passage on u freight schooner. They
landed him with a supply of provisions,
agreeing to return for him in a week.
The week passed, but the schooner
came not, and Mr.. Bryant found him
self marooned. He had collected n large |
lot of rare specimens, and discovered |
several new species of birds. From |
never having seen the face of man, many |
of the birds could be caught by hand. |
Delightful as the location was for the |
ornithologist, the vanished |
supply of provisions made his position
on a lonely island unenviable. He was |
reduced to dining on shellfish and such |
birds as he could secure, and did not es- |
cape to the mainland until three weeks !
when the schooner returned
to the island and took off the nat ur:,list |
and his specimens.
The nests of nearly all birds are most |