Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-03-28
RARE BIRDS EGGS.
Many Difficulties Encountered in Col
Letting Them.
From the Boston Herald.

From the Boston Herald
Many boys are interested in Zoology, but a
peculiar fact in collecting birds eggs is the
wide difference in value of the eggs of the
ss me family of birds. For instance, there
is the great family of hawks. Some hawks
eggs are worth only a few cents each and
other hawks eggs find a ready sale at So
s. and 81 each. The eggs of a marsh hawk
Ied-backed hawk and copper hawk may
be bought for 30 cents each. and the broad
wIrged hawks eggs Will bring 81 each the
world over. The eggs of Sawainsons
hawk and the buff breasted hawk are worth
$50 each
The osprey or fish hawk CPandion haIiae-
tus) is one of the most interesting birds.
Its nest Is found in Europe and America
especially along the coast of British Column
bla- The birds are about thirty inches
long and have wings of an extension of
four and half feet The osprey Is
water fowl and lives on fish 1t builds 4
nest. often three feet and sometimes four
feet in diameter, IN some great spreading
tree close beside Il body of water. generally
an inlet marshy bay from the sea. The
nest is composed of sticks of wood branch
es of small trees. reeds. sea moss and To-
hage. a more sloyenly builder is scarcely
known in bird architecture. The osprey
sometimes uses the same nest for several
seasons. going south in winter and return
ing In summer. Five eggs are almost al
ways laid at one time. The male bird
assists IN incubation. He supplies the fe-
male with food, and often takes a turn at
sitting on the eggs while Nine. Osprey goes
in search of her own meal
The swallowtaiI kite was once observed
in Pennsylvania by Audubon but these
hawks are never seen nowadays north Of
Virginia, and seldom north of Georgia
They are quite common in Louisiana and
are on the coast OF Mexico and Lower Cali
fornia. They are unusually suspicious of
mans approach. They are wonderful fly
ers. They feed on the wing and chase in
sects in the air fo- hours without alighting
With the exception OF the frigate bird
nothing in feathers lives so much on the
wing as the swailowtail kite hawk Its
nest Is always among the foliage of a tall
tree. remote from any human habitation
or haunts OF other birds. They go to bed
late in the evening and are among the ear
Hest TO take wing when dawn comes Tho
swallowtail kites eggs are generally fou-
III number. of greenish- white color with a
few irregular spots of dark brown at the
lower end. They are very valuable now
SO being paid for TWO at a sale not long
since.
The egg Of the golden eagle is also be-
coming valuable dozen years ago these
eggs could be bought In London and New
York for about IS apiece. Two years ago
several golden eagle eggs were sold at auction
In San Francisco fer $50 each. The rocks
and erags of the hills of the little islands
on the coast OF California We're said TO
rave beer the eyrles of thousands of golden
eagles half century ago. but scarcely one
o. the birds now remains to deck appro-
priately the landscape. The hunter of
geloen eagles eggs earns every penny there
Is IN the seemingly large prices they COM
mand- In the first place, even the man
VINO goes after golden eagles eggs NAV not
d. able to locate a nest of eggs for months
or even several years. In the second place
tie eyre OK the golden eagle is placed gu