Evening star., 1926-04-11

WAS OIC6 upon n AlitiC
a goose that laid a golden
egg, or so runs an ancient
Il and delightful fable. that re-
Gently was moderniZed by a
pair of captive condors at the Ma
tional Zoo Park, when they presented
the park with an egg that is worth
a cool $3.50 cash.
The California condor is a bird that
is practically extinct, and, according
to the ornithologists of the Smith
sonian Institution, it would require
million dollar staging TO reach up to
the nest of a pair of these rare birds
in their native habitat, with no as
surance that there would be an egg
in the nest when the mountain peak
was finally reached.
The scarcity of the breed is said
to be due to poisoned meat that was
set out for coyotes and other animal
pests of the California mountain dis
tricts some years ago, and Ii is be
lieved, as the result of a survey
few months since, that the three
condors In the park here are the only
ones in captivity this side of the
Rocky Mountains.
Thus the value of the condor egg
laid recently by these rare birds Is
~
since all the other condor eggs were
smashed by the parent birds before
they could be rescued by the keep
ers.
Each of the three previous
smashes was a. distinct loss to the
Zoo, and when the Smithsonian Of
ficials used a little mathematics and
found that three times $3.50 is no
less than S2,250 net. it was definitely
agreed that the first look of the
condors at any future egg would also
be their last.
incidentally, there is also a senti-
ment among the ornithologists OF the
Smithsonian Institution to the effect
that an egg in the hand. so TO SPEAK
is a great deal better than one in
nest. Or, in other words, that large
and snow-white California condor egg
belongs on a shelf in the museum.
safely under lock and key, of course.
This sentiment filtered back to the
Zoo. and on or about the first day OF
March, the condors in the park began
to find themselves almost embarrassed
by the attention of hawk-eyed Keepers
near their cage. This watchfulness
finally resulted in the successful cap
ture of the egg that has been given
over to the care OF Keeper Lambert
who has had remarkable success IN
raising rare wild fowl, in other sea-
sons Lambert selected a large
China egg to keep 1t company ana
having placed the two under a Jap,
hen, removed the sign of "Weicome
from the front door-mat.
It Is believed that a condor egg
probably takes from 56 to 80 days TO
incubate, and Lambert says he IN
tends to give this one the same care
that he found so effective with the
wild blue goose eggs he raised iast
wear and the year before, and which
he sprinkled daily with a little water
as he turned them.
This particular treatment seems 20
soften the hard shell, and was thought
Of by Lambert after he lost rare
the chick was unable to chip it's way
out and the keeper was AFRAID 10
crack the shell himself. for fear or
injuring 1t.
These three young wild blue geese
are claimed to be the first pure-bred
ones that have ever been raised In cap
tiyity. and reports Of their weekly
growth, their change of plumage ana
their habits have been noted for the
benefit Of ornithologists all over the
world.
1t is stated by Df. A. w Wethoto "
the Smithsonian Institution that ne
understands that some half-breed
birds of which wild blue geese pro,
vided one of the parents were raised ls,a
some time since in Illinois, but this
does not in any way impair the record
Of the National Geological Park in
claiming first rights; More than n that, ths
these same young blue geese are the
very first to have been seen, since IL
is said by the highest authorities that
no explorer, no Indian and not even
the Eskinos have ever been able den.
nitely to locate the actual breeding
grounds of the Chen Caerulescens
UAinn) or wild blue goose.
Not even such great explorers as
Stefansson and Macmillan nave re-
turned with captured egg or nest
or the young of this bird. Indeed
lt is so rare that DR.. Edward A.
Preble Of the Science Conservation
Board OF the United States Bioiogical
Survey states that at one time It was