Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-03-03

EdvadI Court % Biological Surrey Risks His Nkm Dizzy Climbs Gather Treasured
Eggs One of eEimmu Cnmuyy ]

HIIcu IIlc UdIlk CdVeu, however,
claimed another victim in the person
of A. j. Smithwick of Norfolk Mr..
Smithwick also was searching for
kingfisher eggs when the ground
caved as he ventured too close to the
edge of the mound. The egg-hunter
was engulfed in the slide of soil and
rock and was dead when finally dug
from the mass Of debris.
In making descentS from high cliffs,
the biologists frequently use double
ropes. especially when working alone.
w. w. Price. while hunting for rare
eggs in the Wauchuga Mountains of
Arizona, was strangled to death in one
Of these double rope tackles while his
wife watched the tragedy from the
valley floor far below. In some mex
plicable manner or other, one of the
ropes became entangled around Mr..
Prices neck. In striving to extricate
himself, he evidently slipped from the
cliff and was choked to death.
WILLIAM CRISPIAN, yet another
w gg-seeker, fell to death from
the pinnacle of 200-foot cliff near
Delaware Water Gap. No onlookers
saw that accident. 1t is entirely spec
ulation how it happened. Crispians
rope was coiled, he was wearing his
climbers and held his shorter rope
tightly clenched in his hand when
the body was found.
Like mountain climbing, this sport
Of procuring duck hawk and other
rare eggs is tinted from take-off 70
completion of the climb or descent
with enough thrills TO satisfy even
the most venturesome. But. accord
ing to enthusiasts like Messrs. Court,
Harlow and Rausch, the rewards are
worthy of the risks Dick Harlow,
who formerly weighed about $50
pounds. was extremely heavy for rope
work, but, nevertheless. he attempted
it on various occasions. Once he
fell near Synagogue Gap, Pa, or
rather he slid down a rope for a dis
lance Of some 80 feet. He expert
enced such severe rope burns on his
hands as a result of that accident
that it took several months for his
palms and digits to get in shape again
so he could use them. At present
Harlow weighs 1875 pounds end is
in excellent physical condition.
Via motor car, canoe and afoot
Harlow and Rausch have penetrated
to every remote and isolated section
of Pennsylvania in quest of eggs.
Court has accompanied the pair on
many of those trips, while they have
reciprocated by going with him to
many favorite localities in Maryland.
Virginia and West Virginia.
Once Court and Harlow took nine
sets of duck hawk eggs from IL To-
calities in Northern Pennsylvania in
on field trip. Mr.. Harlow has
also made five extensive pill
grimages to Canada. where, in AL
berta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia
and Gaspe Peninsula, the nesting
grounds of many of the North Amer
lean birds are located. He used pack
horses and Indian guides on those
trips and brought many fine speci-
mems of uncommon eggs, such as the
doWitcher and Canadian goose Ger
tain pictures which Mr.. Harlow made
of the nesting habits and eggs of rare
Canadian birds are now preserved in
the files of the Smithsonian Institu-
ton as scientific exhibits. Mr.. Har-
lows egg collection has been increased
on several occasions by purchases
from other collectors. Among other
purchases, Mr.. Harlow bought the first
blue goose eggs ever taken in the
Hudson Bay region from man named
Sooper, the pioneer collector of that
species. 1t is safe to say that the
Harlow egg collection is worth upward
of $4,000 while the Court collection
is measurably more valuable.
In the records of ornithology, Mr..
Court is credited with describing the
TreganZa blue heron in the Salt Lake
City, Utah, region, while he also is
the owner of some 1000 birds eggs
from Java, the only ones of their kind
in the United States. He has pre-
sented some of these eggs to the Ma
approximately 10000 birds eggs is
now the largest in this country. From
Maine to Florida, from Utah to Mex
leo and throughout the eastern one
half Of the United States. Mr.. Court
has journeyed in his egg hunts. U.s.
ually, every second year he has made
extensive trips of from three to five
moEths. He has spent considerable
time on famous Bird Island, off the
Texas Coast, where half million
birds nest regularly. 1t is the
headquarters of the only known
colony of white pelicans in this
country. He also spent several
months on the historic King Ranch,
in Texas, which covers 1,25000 acres
and is the largest establishment Of its
class now under fence in North Amer
lea. A quarter of year in the Flor
ida Everglades country resulted in
splendid takes of eggs. Court was the
first to collect the eggs of the Cape
Sable black duck and Howells Cape
Sable seaside sparrow in Florida, while
he also found II colonies of roseate
spoonbillS along Shark River, near
Mud Lake, in the very heart of the
Seminole Indian country. Among
other interesting takes, he obtained
two sets of Florida wild turkey eggs.
which are appropriate associates for
the valuable California condor, Caro-
lima parakeet, passenger pigeon, In
dian mound builder, Wilson tern,
Javanese tree ducks, sacries crane,
raven and other outstanding eggs in
his collection.
7 Untold thousands spend their
leisure at the movies" others
motor, play golf and tennis or 90 fish,
ing for amusement and relaxation.
but Ed Court has his fun in the
woods. He knows every bird resident
or migrant in the District. Virginia
and Maryland by its tuneful note or
call. In fact, merely by observing
the type Of timber-whether decidu-
GUS or coniferous-in a woodland, Mr..
Court will tell you Immediately what
species Of birds you will find there,
and even in what trees you will find
their nests. He knows the woods in
which the different species prefer to
breed as well as their favorite foods.
He can foretell with amazing accu-
racy when and where certain species
will be found at song as the different
birds have favorite perches where they
go regularly in order to practice notes.
scales and melodies or y0,1