Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-02-09
WILD BIRDS EGGS AS FOOD.
Many That Are Eaten In Europe and
Regarded As Delicecies.

Regarded AS Delicecies.
In Germany and Holland crows
eggs are considered o luxury among
the poorer classes, and on Prince
Bismarcks eighty-third birthday o
present of one hundred of these was
made to him. The eggs of the rook
ure also looked upon as delicate food
by the Germans and Hollanders. The
Chinese are not only fond Of swallows
nest soup, but they eat the eggs OF
this little bird with great relish.
Among the South Sea Islands the
natives depend largely upon this kind
of focd, which the birds prepare for
them in nests, and SO important is the
source Of this food considered that
they will rarely destroy tho birds.
On the great rookeries they have
found the eggs supplied abundantly
for them for ages, and they gather
them so easily that there is no disposi-
tion to destroy the birds. it is only
when civilized man comes, intent upon
destroying the birds for their feathers
and plumes, that these great island
rookeries have been depopulated.
In the markets of Holland-the
greatest centre for wild birds eggs
we find displayed for sale the eggs OF
nearly all large wild birds, such rs the
crow, rook, gull, plover, peewit, red.
shauks, guillemot, blue heron, wild
| duck. sheldrake and many others.
The eggs are gathered for these
markets from the largo colonies along
tho coast. The Isle of Texel supplies
many Of the wild birds eggs for the
Hollanders. This island is given up
largely to sheep. grazing, and the
shepherds make little extra pocket
money in gathering tho wild fowls
eggs from the rocks and broad heaths.
In Friesland the farmers have
almost tanned the sheldrakes like
domesticated fowls. The sheldrakes
have laid their eggs in count
less numbers on the hcaths OF the
Dutch Norfolk, and tho farmers, in
stead of killing the birds or frighten-
ing them away, cultivate their acquaint-
ance aud build artificial burrows CT
nests in the grass for them. In these
nests the sheidrakos go on laying their
eggs, despite the fact that they are
almost daily robbed of them. In some
instances the female birds will even
permit the farmers to handle them to
remove the eggs. In return for all
this the farmers protect the birds, and
after certain season they permit the
birds to sit on their eggs and hatch
out young ones. The young she9-
brakes are protected just as much as
our young barnyard chickens are.
Egg gathering has become legiti-
mate vocation on the Irish and Scot
tlsh coasts and on all the islands along
tho shores. The men who engage in
The hazardous work carry their lives
daily in their hands, for the sea-birds
build their nests among tho most in
accessible peaks and crags Of the
mountains and on ledgos and rocks
overlooking the sea, where sure death
awaits the one who makes false step.
The men swing down from tho top OF
the cliffs by means of ropes, and while
dangling in this insecure position be-
tween earth and heaven they gather
the eggs of the ducks, vultures, goloen
eagles, cormorants and similar birds.
The egg-collector descends the face
of the cliff in his bare feet, and provi-
ded only with q stout stick and egg
basket. A companion from above gen
orally helps him, in his descent aud
guides him in his perilous movements
along the face Of the mountain.
The chief eggs that are sold for eat.
ing in Holland and other European
cities include those of the wild ducks
and fowls, gulls, ployers, sheldrakes,
meadow-hens, guillemots, peewits,
red-shanks, turnstones, snipe, curlews,.
dunlins, crows, rocks, cranes, herons,
coots, storks, pelicans, vultures, hawks,
owls and many of the smaller land
birds. These wild birds eggs are
cheaper in many countries than-hens'
eggs, and they constitute tho chief
egg diet of both rich and poor.-Bos-
ton Transcript.