The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-02-05
WILD BIRDS EGGS AS FOOD,
Many That Arc Eaten In Europe and
Regarded As Delicacies.

WILD BIRDS EGGS AS FOOD.
Many That Arc Eaten In Europe and
Regarded As Delicacies.
In Germany and Holland crows
eggs are considered luxury among
the poorer classes, and on Prince
Bismarck's eighty.third birthday s
present OF one hundred Of these wa.
made to him. The eggs of the rool
are also looked upon as delicate fooG
by the Germans and Hollanders, The
Chinese are not only fond of swallows
nest soup, but they eat the eggs o!
this little bird with great relish.
Among the South Sea Islands the
natives depend largely upon this kind
OF food, which the birds prepare 70,
them in nests, and so important is the
source Of this food considered that
they will rarely destroy the 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 DISPOSE.
'%2n to destroy the birds. 1t 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 DIS the
crow, rock, gull, plover, peewit, red.
shanks, guillemot, blue heron, wild
duck, she ldrake and many others.
The eggs arc gathered for these
markets from the large colonies along
the 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 tho
shepherds make a 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. Tho sheldrakes
have laid their eggs in count,
less numbers on the heaths of the
Dutch Norfolk, and the farmers, in.
stead Of killing the birds or frighten.
ing them away, cultivate their acquaint.
ance and build artificial burrows OF
nests in the grass for them. In these
nests the sheidrakes 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 shell.
brakes are protected just as much as
our young barnyard chickens ore.
Egg-gathering has become legiti.
mate vocation on the Irish and Scot.
fish coasts and on oil the islands along
the shores. The men who engage in
the hazardous work carry their lives
daily in their hands, for the sea-birds
build their nests among the most in.
accessible peaks and crags of the
mountains and on lodges and rocks
overlooking the sea, where sure death
awaits the one who makes false step.
The men swing down from the 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, golden
eagles, cormorants and similar birds.
The regg.collector descends the face
of the cliff in his bare feet, and proyi-
ded only with q stout stick and egg-
basket. A companion from above gen
orally helps himssiu his descent and
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, plovers, sheldrakes,
meadow hens, guillemots, peewits,
-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 the chief
egg diet Of both rich and poor.-Bos'
ton Transcript. .:..