Evening star., 1940-12-29
French 0rnithoIogist
Is Ready TO Start
Work Over at 50
Delucour Comes to u. S.
As War Again Destroys
Privote Sanctuary
BY w. H. SHIPPEN, Jr.

Such attentions grow a bit an
noying, don't you think? Once is
too much, but twice :"
Jean Delacour smiled, shrugged
his heavy shoulders and spread his
hands apart. His mannerisms were
French, but his understatements
seemed as typically British as his
solid frame and ruddy, cheerful
countenance.
The famous French ornithologist
referred to two German invasious
OF his native land, one in 1914, the
second last May. They had de-
stroyed and overrun, among other
things, his great family estates and
along with them his lifes work
one of the worlds finest collections
OF birds and animals.
Yet last night, with the old life
behind him, just arrived in the New
World to start over again at the
age of so, he might have been chat
ting about a less personal experience.
Only when he referred to the fate
OF his beloved specimens, or his
ancient chateau in Normandy. was
there hint of tragedy about the
man.
Bombs Fall on Estate.
In fact, he was disposed to
chuckle when his host, Zoo Director
William M. Mann, recalled the
antics of the gang of gibbons which
once roved the parklike forests of
his estate.
The frisky little apes often de-
scended on the neighboring village.
They teased the village priests by
ringing the chimes in the old church
towers at all the wrong hours.
What became of them?" asked
DR.. Mann, who had visited M. Della
cour's game sanctuary and private
ZOO two years ago.
"Oh. I'm afraid it was only the
bad boys who escaped. The bell
ringers I sent to the London Zoo
as for the others, who knows?
The air bombs came-32 on my
place in one day, and then the
Germans. I was in the army else
where. Who knows what became
of them?"
Many Specimens Killed.
A rain of bombs fell on the harm
less. almost uninhabitated, estate
with its ancient stone towers dating
from Joan of Arcs day, its grassy
terraces, wooded parks and lakes
full of rare waterfowl About half
of the specimens we're killed in
the Observation-Disclosures per-
haps the finest bird collection in
the world. There were deer from
all over the globe in the parks
and the chateau contained a famous
geological library.
M. Delacour left all this in charge
of caretakers when he was mo-
bilized. He never saw it again
after that tragic May, and doesn't
know If he ever will He learned
later that most of the surviving
specimens were liberated by passing
soldiers, and few were purchased
by German dealers with occupation
marks when it became apparent
they otherwise would starve.
Led Seven Expeditions.
M. Delacour later was discharged
from the army. He went to Vichy,
and there made arrangements with
the American Embassy to come to
this country. Then he flew to French
West Africa, and from there to
Portugal, where, after a wait of
several weeks, he obtained passage
on an American Export Line ship.
He arrived in New York a few days
ago, where he is negotiating for a
job with scientific institution.
The ornithologist has led seven
expeditions to French Indo- China.
and others to Madagascar. He has
helped finance collections in many
parts of the world. His own col
lection of pheasants was one of the
finest known. He has given scores
OF rare birds to ZOOS in Washington,
Chicago and New York, and is well
known in the United States.
To Begin Again in United States.
M. Delacour began collecting birds
ct the age of five, As a boy he
helped his fathers game keepers
on an estate near Amiens. BY the
time of the World War he had built
an impressive game sanctuary. The
cannonades of the war, however.
reduced the stone buildings to rub
bic heaps and the forests to Charred
and splintered stumps. This estate
could not be restored after the war.
and he moved to another family
holding.
For the last 10 years M. Delacour
felt that his collection warranted
the attention of the public, whom
he admitted at small fees to pay
for guides.
He has presented the local Zoo
with many valuable specimens, in
cluding four white ostriches of
South American species.
M. Delacour said last night he
doubted if he ever would return to
France:
Il shall try to begin again in this
country-50 isn't too old, is it?"