Evening star., 1944-09-02
This and That
Bu Charles E. TrlceDell.

If you find goose egg, you can keep u.
If you come across an egg OF the BALD
eagle, however, you cannot. law en-
acted by Congress in 1910 makes 1t
mandatory. on heavy penalty, to turn
it over to museum.
Protection of the bird which is our
national emblem has caused finder
much trouble recently. The flrst part
of this adventure was detailed here
some time ago.
The finder woman living near vi
enna, Va, and employed in the Treas
ury Department, called this column.
We guessed that it was either goose
egg or an eagle egg.
At the New National Museum a SCI
enlist diagnosed 1t as an egg OF the
bald eagle. The woman left the egg
and went to the proper authorities to
see about the chances of putting 1t
under hen.
There they said that such eggs were
infertile, at this time of year. but that
she could not keep the egg, since it was
against the law to have bald eagle
"or any part thereof
She wrote to the Chicago office OF
the Wildlife Commission, and was told
that she must turn the egg over to a
museum as they could not give her a
permit to keep it.
This made her feel rather sad, for
by this time the egg had assumed a
value out of all real proportion. Every
one knows how such things are.
When she went back to the museum,
another scientist, who had removed the
contents of the egg, stated that it was
not an eagle egg, but goose egg, that
this egg had a double yolk which gen.
uine eagle eggs never have.
Now here was pretty how-dee-do.
If it was an eagle egg, she would have
to give it up, but if it were a goose egg
she could keep it.
But who wants a goose egg?
And most persons would value an egg
of bald eagle, that mighty symbol of
mighty nation.
The first scientist, by this time, had
gone on his vacation, so the two could
not hight it out. The second ornitholo-
glst told her to take it to a man who
lives over near Cabin John Bridge. He
was great expert, the man at the
museum told her. and had a vast COL
lection of bird eggs. He could tell her
what 1t was.
So she and her husband visited the
egg collector.
Forty thousand eggs he had, he told
her. but they were all packed up, ready
Tor move into the city. They are kept
IN cases. each egg in little bed of moss
or something.
He held the egg up to the light and
made minute examination
He examined the inside color.
mat, he announced, was definitive.
The inside of a bald eagle egg, he
declared, is green, whereas that OF
goose egg is yellow This was yellow,
therefore it was goose egg.
This debated the egg, of course, but
now the finder would be able to keep it.
Could keep it, that is, if she could
now get the authorities to take the
word of her new expert.
He said goose egg, the first man at
the New National Museum had said
bald eagle.
SO there you have it, another case
where doctors disagree, leaving the ladv
holding the big egg, not being sure It ia
either goose egg or a bald eagle egg.
and wondering if the Government viii
get after her.
Only IN Alaska, according to the law.
is it proper to have in ones possession
either bald eagle or amy part thereof"
and certainly the egg is a part thereof.
she feels.
This column will let readers know
how the case comes out.
One thing we are proud of is that
when the Vienna woman called up, and
described the egg, we promptly said into
the telephone. Its either a goose egg
or an eagle egg"
We will let the experts dispute among
themselves. It makes no difference to
us. Whichever way 1t finally goes, We
will be right. It is not more than once
In lifetime that such thing happens.