Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-20
BLOWING OSTRICH EGGS
Dr.. Palmer of the National Museum Per-
forms a Wholesale Operation
An Effort Here lin Washington to
in an Ordinary Incubator.

Dr. Joseph Palmer of the National Mu-
scum performed a rare and dangerous
scientific operation yesterday four times
over with remarkable and highly crafty
Ing success. Some time in March Mr. Ed
ward Schlnd sent to the Norwalk ostrich
farm at Norwalk, Cal, and bought five
ostrich eggs at cost of So each. In due
time they came and four We're put in an
incubator and kept at a uniform tempera-
lure for fourteen days. The fifth was sent
to Arthur Gardner of Springfield, Md, an
expert poultryman, who set it under big
Erahma hen. At the end of the second
week the eggs should have not only begun
the process Of incubation, but have been
considerably advanced in it. 1t takes
lorty two days for an ostrich egg to hatch.
ny ihe eighth or tenth day the germ
shouid be distinctly visible. Yet none OF
the eggs were thus far advanced. The
method of testing is precisely the same as
LOT mems eggs. In a darkened room the
egg Is held up before the egg tester, which
Is simply tin lamp chimney with hole
IN one slde TO let out a bar of light. When
held before this egg tester light it was as
easily possible to see through the huge
ihree-pound ostrich egg as it would have
peeh 70 look through sparrow's egg. AT
Tue emu Oh the fourteen days the eggs were
perfectly clear. There was practically no
ar cell, and the contents had not begun to
dry down as they should in a fertile egg.
Mr. "A. r. Cooper OF the Prairie State In
Supator company happened to come to
w aShlngton just then, and he also tested
the ostrich eggs. He is recognized every
Where as an expert incubator manager,
ana was not likely to make a mistake. He
proliouhced the egSs infertile. Mr.. Schmid
telegraphed to California, and the NorwaIk
manager promptly sent on another set of
eggs and asked that the infertile ones be
blown and sold.
Yesterday Dir D,1-,.. ,u,e,,
eggs. They were as big and bald as a
Daoy S head and weighed none of them
less IMAM three pounds. There is good
deal OF danger in such big eggs when they
nave been lncubated for any length Of time
especially If they arc fertile enough TO
start the germ and yet so weak that It
dies in the she'll Tho egg is likely to ex-
piode very much as in the old laboratory
experiment the soap bubbles filed with
sulphuretted hydrogen break loose. Or,
Palmer was loath to tackle Mr.. Schmid' S
eggs. Only the other day man up in
Cchhectlcut was knocked over 10y one and
covered with a quart Of arrested ostrich
germ, 10 the disgust of himsa!f and all
who came near him for Il fortnight Yet
Dr. Palmer is brave man, and he went
at his task bravely.
A big tub of water was set ont in the
middle of the floor, where there was a good
chance for instantaneous flight Then
placing the egg under water, he drilled a
small hole on the under side inserted a
shlal pump within long slender tube
that passed up into the egg above the con-
tents, and with a gentle pressure forced
ar gradually into the she'll which in turn
drove the white ard yolk out In this way
three eggs We're safely emptied of their
contents. By this time DIR. Palmers faith
IL the integrity of these eggs was some
what reinforced and he ventured to blow
The last one out Of water. The contents
were caught in a two-quart cup. The
shells were then rinsed within and cleansed
tp Ia
placed In the collectors cabinet They are
beautiful in their symmetry, their curves
being simply faultless. Little stipple marks
CT pores are scattered over them to per
init air 10 enter. feature absent from most
other eggs.
Mr.. Gardner has not yet reported on the
egg sent to him.
He made a nest of nice clean sand and
haif buried the egg, then put a venerable
Old hen on 1t and awaited results In all
probability it. like the others, is infertile.
me second set of eggs have been in the
Incubator now for over week and sean,
to be fertile. They rest on cotton. ard a
thermometer is laid by them on a small
frame, SO that the bulb constantly touches
an egg. 1t Is necessary to turn them every
twelve hours, and Mr.. Cugley, who has
charge of the ncubators, has put big d;
on one side of each egg, and a big Nj on
the other. In this way he knows every
morning and evening which side of the
eggs should be uppermost. The eggs now
show an increasing air cell, and the yelks
are more Opaque than in infertile eggs
There also seems to be an OPAQUE dot
which appears where the germ is usually
seen. None Of the blood-red veins, seen in
good live hens egg at the seventh or
eighth day, have yet developed. They are
due to hatch June 26. Mr.. Schmid saws
he will be satisfied if he is fortunate enough
to hatch even one bird. He thinks he can
rear one If Matched. Incubators are com
monty used now in ostrich Matching in this
country. The birds, when successfully
reared, are very valuable