Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-21

were greatly amazed that he had not been
struck by lightning.
osity which is one OF the reasons they are
so easily captured.
Egg Collecting on Big Scale.
It would surprise the ordinary. non-col-
lectlng Individual to know how many peo-
pie of prominence are egg collectors. One
of the London Rothschiids has very large
collection of eggs. He did not collect them
for himself, of course, but he did keep
man busy travelling over the world for some
years in order to make his collection one OF
the most complete In existence. There is
also a steady demand from the museums
for eggs, as there is. indeed. for butterflies
and consequently there are always egg col
lectors in the field.
Curiously enough, while 1t is not hard 70
get specimens of practically all varieties of
birds that are still extant, 1t Is very DIM
cult to get certain varieties of eggs. The
sandpipers, for instance, are practically
unknown. Eggs purporting to be sand
pipers' have been shown, but discriminat-
ing biologists scout their genuineness. The
reason for the scarcity of these eggs is the
fact, supposed. that the sandpiper has
no nest of its own but lays Its eggs In the
nests of other birds, where they cannot be
traced
The same is true of the robin snipe
There is story that wealthy English
oologist kept man travelling up ana down
the Labrador coast one whole season In
search of robin snipes eggs without sue
cess The robin snipe is we'll known In
many localities, but it breeds 50 far north
that it has always been impossible for the
collector to find the nests before the hatch
ing time The nests have been found, but
with young birds in them, not eggs.
Two Fortunes in Eggs.
There are eggs worth thousands of dol
lars-one egg of the great aux sold few
years ago for rising of S3,OG0~but egg col
lectors rarely make big fortunes, though
some Of them do make what they term
good money and live the sort of life they,
like. They also win fame-among egg fam
ciers at least
There was a youngster who lived in Al
bion. Orleans county, N Y. who, when a
mere lad was so fond of gathering birds
eggs that his father tried to whip him out
of the notion. but unsuccessfully. he mar
ly began to make a little money out of his
eggs, and then he was allowed to carry on
his egg collecting to suit himself.
In time he became known to the farm
ers of his own and adjoining counties as
1.-The young chap what has the knack of
making money out of the naturalist bust
ness" for eventually he went into shells
and fossils" Niagara rock, which under
lies Orleans county, is particularly rich In
the latter. When I called upon him few
years ago the little building in which he
housed his treasures contained $4,000 eggs,
$4,000 shells. almost as many fossils. and
end of other things constantly IN de-
mand by the museums
1t took him some time to win the respect
of his neighbors, but after they found that
he was in constant communication with
some OF the most famous museums In the
world and saw by the visible evidences of
his material prosperity that he got good
money for his goods. their attitude toward
him changed completely
He had many queer customers, the queer
est, according to his story, being a man
from the west somewhere, who called on
him one day, looking like tramp" The
young naturalist was at first inclined to
turn him away, but little conversation
showed that he knew something about fos-
sils and shells. and appreciated his host S
collection. He liked 1t well that he
brought practically everything 1t contained
but fossils and shells were his delight.
In the course of a year or two he APP
peared again, and again bought the entire
collection. He paid cash both times, and
the two sales made to him were the largest
in the young collectors experience. 1t was
the latter's opinion that the western man,
whose name was not given. intended, event
accounts he had 1not even unpacked the
eases in which the shells and fossils were
sent to him. He has bought an enormous
number of specimens from other collectors
In all parts of the world, and his total &C
cumulations are understood to occupy the
larger part of pretty good sized building
Country people collect as aSSiduouSly
as the dwellers in cities but they do not
put as much money into their collections.
Boston folks and the dwellers whereabouts
collect more eggs than any one else. New
Workers. run more to minerals and fossils
Philadelphians are great collectors Of
shells, and very scientific ones, too.