The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-10-13
GOOD PLACES TO HUNT EGGS
A NOTEL IND STRY ON THE KEYS
OFF THE COAST or FLORIDA.

RObbing the Nests Oh Mlillohs OF hlFus-
Efforts TO Drive Away the DespoiIers-
DisagreeabIe Work "A straneg Tug
of-War Between Hermit Crabs and
Young Gulls,
In the latter part of April small,
uninhabited key on the outer reef OF
Florida, in the direction OF Yueatan'
which has been deserted for months,
suddenly takes on an appearance of life
and activity. The writer visited 1t one
day in search of green turtle and found
it a dreary spot given over to spirit
crabs and their kin folks Three days
later a thousand gulls rose at the APP
proach of the visitors, and in fe WdayS
more the birds had assembled in what
is popularity known as millions. Inc
ground was covered with them, the air
black. and when all were in flight they
formed a remarkable living canopy over
the white coral key with its green cap
of bay cedar. Every year this Is re-
peated, two islands of the Tortugas
group being selected for the purpose by
the terms Bird and East key, the
former the smaller, are the most pop
| ular
AS the boat neared the island where
the nesting season was in full progress
q dark cloud could be seen resting over
the spot and when within half mile
a curious sound was heard--a sharp
continuous road like machinery Tar
away growing rapidly louder, until
when the boat was within 200 feet or
the bea ch the noise had become deaten-
ing The cloud had resolved itself into
! terms. each one of which seemed to be
screaming at the top of it's voice In
| high staccato. The came off to meet
/ the visitors by hundreds, plunging at
the boat in a menacing manner, hover
! ing overhead almost within reach, and
! swooping down from greater heights
with wild cries, altogether presenting q
remarkable spectacle. The birds were
pure white, with black heads, with here
and there choc0late-colored body with
white AS the boat ran onto the white
beach. which surrounded the key, bed
lam broke loose. 1t was impossible to
hear a word spoken in an ordinary tone
and screaming was Of but little avail,
yet it had a marvellous effect on the
birds.
One of the b0atmen had gone ahead
and wishing to stop him his name was
called, whereupon every bird ceased
screaming to listen, and there was alb
solute silence as the birds, as If actu-
ated by a single motive all pitched
downward evidently listening then ris-
ing, began the pandemonium OF sounds
again: and as many times as this was
repeated so many times could the terms
be silenced for a few seconds. AS the
men moved into the bush birds strug-
eled away from their nests in every di-
rection and made their way upward, in
creasing the clamor and noise. In some
places the ground was so thtckly strewn
with eggs that 1t was almost impossi-
BILE to walk without stepping ON them
They were about the size of hens aggs,
speckled and blotched with black or
dark brown. A boat came in loaded
with -four barrels, which were soon
filled with eggs. The method of col
lecting was interesting. The men en-
tered the bush, which grew thick and
to a height Of perhaps seven feet, and
made their way over the hot sand on
their hands and knees. A man would
drop down, clear away a place before
him, and reach out for all the eggs in
his range, piling them up in heap;
then crawl along eight or ten feet deep
err into the bush piling as he went,
In his wake came others who packed
the eggs in bags and carried them TO
the beach, where they We're placed in
the barrels first layer of bay cedar
leaves, three inches thick then layer
Of eggs; over this were placed more
leaves, and go on until the barrel was
filed; when it was carried away over
to the boat.
Collecting eggs In this way by whole
sale had It's attractions as novelty,
but If a man had been obliged to do 1t,
he would have considered himself badly
treated. The normal temperature out
in the air was terrific, but in the BUSH
where the suns rays were reflected on
the sand, where there was no draft
1t was intoerable. To add to this the
struggling birds raised a sitting dust
from the branches; they rushed blindly
at the ptckers beat their faces with
their wings, threw the fine sand this
way and that; besides, there was the
discomfort Of being hit on the head by
eggs which the birds often dropped. |
One negro took off his old straw hat,
and was hopping his head with his