Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-04-07
THE ALBATROSS.
Shall the Bird of Sea Romance Pass
From Existence?
The Other Species Of Fcathered Creatures
Whose Survival is Threatened.


island in question is that of Laysan, to
the northwest Of Hawaii volcanic rock
three miles long and a trife less in
breadth-On which these seafowl breed in
enormous numbers Unfortunately for
them, a local guano deposit attracts dig
gers for that valuable fertilizer, and
their eggs are gathered wholesale to feed
the workmen. Though the birds them
selves are not seriously DISTURBED the re-
me val Of their eggs not only by the
wheebarruw load but by the carload
must soon result in the practical extinc-
ton Of the species thereahout.
1t is the government bureau Of orni-
thology that calls attention to this unfort-
innate state of affairs, and. in the forth
coming year book Of the department of
agriculture DR. T.. s. Palmer will speak
Of dangers threatening Uncle Sans bird
colonies in other regions Perhaps the
most striking instance Is afforded by the
Farallones. ana certainly the most i'm
portant in a financial way. These islands
or rather rocks. off the coast of Califor-
MIA 50 miles west of the Golden Gate, are
the breeding grounds Of myriads Of sea
birds. chiefly western gulls and INJURIES.
For nearly fifty years murre eggs have
been collected there and shipped to the
San Francisco market where they find
ready sale at from u to 20 cents per doz-
en-a price only A little less than that of
hens eggs; During the season, whicn
the middle of May, the eggs are shipped
regularly once or twice a week. The
the principal island and chiefly from the
great rookery'' at the west end The
bird lays only one egg. which Is deposit
ed on the bare rock When the season
opens the men go over the ground and
break all the eggs I'm sight 50 as to avoid
taking any that are not perfectly fresh.
The ground is then gone over every sec
ond day. and the eggs are Systematically
picked up and shipped to market
The business is in the hands of Italians
and Greeks. and although only dozen or
fifteen "eggerS'' are employed the num-
Der of eggs gathered is simply enormous.
1T is said that in 1854 more than 100000
s4,lI I,gs "A
that between 1850 and 1856 three or four
millions were taken to San Francisco.
Since then the value Of the eggs has de
clined, and the output has also fallen off
considerably. In 1854 there were gathered
SOC 600; i'm 1856 about los 900, while in 1895
the crop was reduced to little less than
$1,000.
The Farallpnes being government
lighthouse reservation. the "ccgers' were
allowed on the islands formerly only by
sufrancc. From 1850 to 1880 the Farai-
lone Egg Company remained in almost
undiSputcd sway but was dispossesscd in
1881 hy the authorities. Aftrrwards TIL
keepers employed men to gather the
eggs. But in 1877 the attention of the
lighthouse board was called TO the de-
crcasing numbers Of the birds. and in
structions were ISSUED prohibiting fur
thcr gathering OF eggs for market thus
practically putting an end TO the business
fors the present
The eggs of the Palias murre are col
lected for food on the Pribilof islands in
Behrng sea. and III. w. Elliott the nat
uTaliSt mentions that the Ocr1 sion q
his first visit to Walrus island. in JULY.
1872 six men i'm less than three hours
loaded 4 large boat carrying four tons
with eggs to the waters edge Large
colonies of water birds such as Dclicans
guIls, terms and hcrons may he found nj
points along the coasts Of the T-nitcd
States during thr brrcdipr Season AMI in
certain localities Tho nrSs If some ~
these sppcics are highIV esteemed ana
find a ready markets. Oh the eastern
shore nf Nircini1 1vbrre eprl az thn
Iaughint. rnt1 arc cnnsidared creaf
dcIiC1nv ana arc qatharnJ in LARGO 1ir,,.
hrs M ,I -. e 49,, ~ =. 1T ~ Hul,! !
nt ;lTS, Iof sac 20 hotels ana private indl-
taet" ther l. Tho ~ tt,in. ~ , tmi5
determination which is mnnif;.stnI in
,ha '.i''.. '' y II = - Ih1llll c9t'u ~
Ganmntt IN ene,I,inr ~ ~; ,,,,,,i,io.
Of bii, &c i " me ~ @
,Th.red = 80 -. Euiir, tTa ~ ~ nel* ti
,,'at + - ~ = itm Nr'iS 80 dlphS the
..ri ~ 49, -
b,,l n,i rs rs i inniapIy H.t d Pprt, pass or
IN, h ~ ~ ~, rodSt III ltNds whose
rij io, III ~ 80 y 1919 stN
.fr urE9 "a ~ AtfL " Wiiht tney term
SSiiiS. ~ tS9N rom an ii!n Ill didhl-
G enbSt ~ " pancdn, whose GEES are too
it IN aIS StollidtI: nave known "i
ia, "lii,i ~, '"hit d U.s. dhCe pl over one
nuldIed IllIeS 70 gather these eggs
i,li y li"ll 49, ~ I''l uh'h tneH Sc
ut'u Eoou lodu- f"r gay" AFTER the
,Ir,r >, I'm u.s. tAp''i'ionN ln' shops
I!o,t IL t"dSl tNPoSt Quantities 81
~ fi"n rHtS VI adit' Wmcn are disposed
~ tht"pIN: dc'oiuihS 70 SIZE. IN regard
~ ne pioltS 81 tne tgSlnE business,
n iiI - Even 'ne most SucccSStul tgger
Loti I n Hlu'l money ~ ne touih
ard 80, "Uai, n i.-l ne Sluch 10 ms regular
In furt ~, -, ~ NY ItcuPdoivh'
tbra,ter n,ir sLls ~ ptril, Whcn
rnsr enn,L " fea.n'ten iIichuE; Dr. raj
fe,tbotr- -, -, AZ ldShioh ~ wearing
rre,5.d ~, '"u i, -. Va On ndtS' Wmch mas m
ye,rg 4, i, IN, - at tAt i uurlhE recent
IA hirI- ,nd ,i ~ Immense dehin
nnrv tradr Gnu I!h%l"'r ~ SuphE the mlil,
which has bacnr,, fa 'EhiiiG t,idt hiri
to almost ccrtain .ytinrtin,, 4; 9 m"ii,i'd
III tbc rrnt i,,ro, ,,''' ,''ti = tNrHlpllS1
AtI.ntiG cn,et and br,,,. ~ ,I.'"N ~, ~
state within th" I1yt t r',,' ~ ~, III. 'u''
Terms ~ ee,ar,I .,,,.i,. i, : = y
abundant aInnr tbc NtI,rtf" ~ LII f
Florida to Nrw EpGi,nd ma r,, - ~,
tern and the "Ir,st tnrn'' hrod ,b,1,I.,,ti
on tho New Jersey rotst mi hnth uct,
nearly cxtermin,trd ,hnnt tsSy * ,.,,,,,,i,
the millinery trade A. M axnr,,,il -
Tho yvhoIoealc ,ics+ru,+inn r IirIf ~, II
Palmer mention. /, rn,tr,c, ,,,', IL. ,'
ran an r,r,n, ~, irIri5 r ~ ~
livery of 10 oro ,,,r. T., " - ; IT, ~, We
t,in,ii,r ,,tr,,t IL l. - = 80 = 'S'Ii.
tbr r,,.t mf Virsi,,i IS i ti, 4. III
h,n,Iot ~ .,,,frI ,, iu ~" i"e NV
over tbree thong,,,d t,rng ,,.rrc Int "
market during thc summer If liza III onn
gunner and his helpers. while about thc
same time 10000 are are said to have been
killed on CAPE cod Mass The results of
such gllughter were swift mn 1iirn Al
examination III III c.rnund. MIMI MI