The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-09-18
WILD BIRDS EGGS.
MANY KINDS THAT ARE USED FoB
FOOD IN DIFFERENT LANDS.


Friend the Bantam.
custom, which rules in matters of eat.
ing more than in any other department. of
life, has very narrow limits to tho Eng.
hsh idea OF what arc and what are not
edible eggs. This must be mainly due to
fancy, for the taste Of the eggs of most
birds is almost the same, though tbnt of
very few, such as the plover and tho
guinea fowl, is distinctly superior Much
has been written as to the sale of other
birds eggs, gulls, guillemots and red
shanks' for plovers' eggs. They are good
enough of their kind, but the difference
can DO recognized when the shell is strip-
PED OIL Not even those of the redshank
approach the plover's In flavor. The gull's
eggs arc so unlike those OF tho peewit that
the persistence of the tradition that they
are sold MS plovers' eggs is puzzling
The explanation is somewhat curious
Tho bcliof had its origin In confusion
of names which Is illustrated by note
of Sir Thomas Browne. The old Norfolk
namo for tho black headed gull was .'puet,''
and these pucts' eggs were formerly much
moro commonly used for food than pee
wits eggs. Sir Thomas speaks of the
puets in such plontie about Horsey, that
they sometimes bring them in carts to
Norwich and sell them at small rates.
and the country people make uso of their
eggs in buildings and otherwise" The
black headed gull was and to some ex-
tent is still tho principal wild contribu-
tor to our egg supply, except tho rock fowl
of the coast. AT the celebrated cutlery in
Scoulton Mere, in Norfolk, the first eggs
IRE generally laid in tho middle of March.
and none is taken after certain time.
liked yearly, according us the season Is
early or late, AS late rs 1870, according
to Mr.. Thomas Southwell, from S, 900 to
5000 eggs wcro taken annually from this
one colony, Several Of the ancient CUTLER
les of Norfolk arc now extinct. That ncar
Wnngfortl was destroyed according to the
evidence of II wnrrencr who rcmcm bered
the "coddy noodles, F." as he called them,
by taking their eggs too close" On tho
other hand. fresh colonies hnyo been estab-
lishcd elsewhere.
In the markets in Holland all kinds of
large birds eggs appear for sale, and arc
presumably intended to DO eaten. Rcd
shanks. grecnshanks, and godwits arc
tho commonest in tho market stalls of
South Holland, but one secs also tho bright
blue eggs of the heron and those of wild
ducks Formerly worry large trade was
done In wild fowl eggs with tho shepherds
of the isle of TcXcl. Tho north pnrt Of the
"Taxel' (ns 1t is pronounced by the Dutch)
is still called eyer land"-"egg land"-
ply was mainly drawn. In Friesland, tho
Dutch Norfolk, where meres breads,
heaths and wild fowl abound, tho shell
brakes eggs arc ono Of the minor sources
OF pocket money to tho villagers. Shell
brakes liko TO nest In a burrow in which
they would normally lay ono setting of
eggs and then hatch them off The Fries
lnndors provide ready made burrows, from
which n dozen nesting chambers radnte.
WI nnt,
covered sand hill, loose turf being laid
over each nesting chamber, which is re-
moved whom the egg is taken, and then
| replaced. The strongest part of this ar
rangemont Is tho tameness of the birds
Several females use the same entrance and
will allow themselves to DO handled They
go on laying regularly, like hens, until
the middle of June, when they aro lowed
to sit. The late Mr. II. Durnford, tho first
English naturalist who described the wild
lifo Of the Friesian islands, noted that each
villagcr generally owned ono OF these shell
drake lodging houses, and that they were
sorupulously honest in not taking each
others eggs
This is greatly to the credit of tho Erie
slams, because egg stealing is not only an
almost universal fraility among rnstics,
of whatever milton, hut is tho only form
OF crime which is generally recognized
and labeled as larceny in tho animal COM
lnunity. Every bird knows that tho other
birds eggs are that birds property 1t Is
not like u young one but chattei, and
there Is distinct criminal class among
birds which knowingly steal eggs, Just as
there is respectable class, the great ma
Jority, who know that they have to guard
against this. BotwiXt and between there
Is doubtful stratum, represented In this
country by rocks, starlings (Which take
larks' eggs), and gulls, who arc not habit
nal criminals, but arc liable to stray whom
temptation comes. Tho professional egg
stealers among our birds nrc the carrion
crow. tho magpie tho jay and the Jack
daw. They have no misgivings whatever
MS to the edible properties of all eggs,
though wo never knew an instance of them
stealing from each other They are perfect
~ aware that they arc stealing, and their
whole air anu demcanor whom So employed
is different To that which they wear whom
hunting for legitimate food
The following eases may be cited: In
April. 1896 II wild duck was disturbed
from her nest in n copso in tho isle of
Wight An hour lator pair of crows
found the nest. 1t held IL eggs, rather too
many for two crows break fasts They in
vited few friends, ato al the eggs and
then began such chorus of crouks and
shouts that tho crime was suspected Ey-
cry egg was gOno before u single crow ut
tered II sound, In Holland two magpies
found pheasant sitting. They waited
until early next morning and then set to
work at dnybreak, when their proceedings
were watched. Ono went behind the pleas.
ant and pecked its tail till the bird turned
round and rushed at tho magpie Tho 9TH
or maggie at once spiked an egg and flew
wi iCh hnH tn