Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-06-28
PATCHING OSTRICH EGGS
Scientists Conducting aS Interesting Op-
 eration at the National Capital


 eration at the National Capital.
 Dr. Joseph Palmer, of the National museum, performed rare and danger ous scientific operation the other day four times over with remarkable and highly gratifying success. Some time in March Edwin Sehmid sent to the Nor walk ostrich farm, at Norwalk, Cal, and bought five ostrich eggs at a cost of five dollars each. In due time they came, and four were put in an incubator and kept at uniform temperature for IA days. The fifth was sent to Arthur Gardner, of Springfield, Md, an expert 1 poultryman, who set it under a big Brahma hen. At the end of the second week the eggs should have not only be- gun the process of incubation, but have been considerably advanced in it. It takes 42 days for an ostrich egg to hatch. i By the eighth or tenth day the germ should be distinctly visible. Yet none of the eggs were thus far advanced. The method of testing is precisely the same as for hens eggs. In darllened room the egg is held up before the egg { lester, which is simply tin lamp ehim- Iney with a hole iD one side to let out a ] bar of light. When held before this egg tester lightit was as easily possible to see through the huge three-pound tostrich egg as 1t Mould have been to look through sparrow's egg. At the lend of days tles eggs were perfectly clear. Thsfs sass laIaetfcally no air cell I and the eofa pis had sl6t begun to dry down as the shouM i9sa fertile egg. A. |. Cooper. Of the eT'fairie State In etlbates1 company, happened to come to Washington just then, and he also tested the ostrich egg He isrecognized ever here as an speFt Incubator man. ager, was not likely to make a mis- take IIe prone cedif la. C eg iflfertile Mr. Sehinid felegra pf1ieeSd f8 California, and sti1e manager prcrnfstl ssese1ft ela>an- other set of sggs and asked that the in fertile ones be s5EeNsli dlSI sold
 Dr. Palmer blew the big eggs. They Nefe als big and "a Id as a baby head and Iweighed none of fa1e1n less than three Ipounds.A There ls a good deal of danger | Iir saieh g 2 eggs when they have been l lifacubafed for any length of time, es- Ieeia}Hy v If they are fertile enough to start fine germ and yet 50 weak that it ! dies in the shell. The egg is likely to EeSpIode very much asin the old labora- tory Experiment the soap bubbles filled with sulphretted hydrogen break loose. Df. Palmer was loath to tackle Mr schmid's eggs. Only the other day a man up in Connecticut was knocked over by one and covered with a quart of arrested ostrich germ, to the disgust of himself and all who came near him for fortnight Yet Dr. Palmer is a brave man, and he went at his task braveiy
 4 big tub of water was set out in the middle of the floor, where there was good chance for instantaneous flight
 Then, placing the egg under the water, he drilled small hole in the under side, inserted a small pump within a long, slender tube that passed up into the egg above the contents, and with q small, gentle pressure forced air grad ually into the shell, which in turn drove the white yolll out. In this way three eggs were safely emptied of their com tents. By this time Dr. Palmer's faith in the integrity of these eggs was some what reenforced and he ventured to blow the last one out of the water. The contents were caught in a two quart cup. The shells were then rinsed and cleansed on the outside and were ready to be placed in the collectors cabinet. They are beautiful in their symmetry, their curves being simply faultless. Little stipple marks or pores are scattered over them to permit air to enter, feature absent from most other eggs.-Washington Star.