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Freshman Is Ardent Worker
In Field of Ornithology

 

 

James Bee

:. | There are more than 130 different

 

 

‘roils Quietly to Discover, Pre-
pare and Save Eggs
of Birds

By MAURICE A JONES

‘which keeps’ the eggs in place.

 

PROVO—Much work is being done
in Utah to increase the knowledge
of our native birds. One of the out-
standing contributors is James Bee, a
freshman at the Brigham Young uni-
versity and son of Mr. and Mrs. Rob-
bert Bee, 255 East Second South
street, of this city.

Most scientists in the fields of
ornithology work quietly in a desire
to know the truth about bird life, and
James is no exception. For years he
has been studying our native birds
and assisting in the preparation for
scientific record their eggs, but only
a few of his most intimate friends
know of his work.

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specimens of native bird eggs in Mr.
Bee’s collection. They vary through
all the tints from white to blue,
green and brown, some unmarked.)
others handsomely speckled, spotted,
blotched or wreathed with different/
shades of brown, lilac and lavender,
and their sizes vary from that of the!
diminutive humming bird, which has|
an egg .50x.35, to that of the pelican,,
which has an egg 3.45x2.30.
Prepares Carefully

Probably the outstanding feature.
of James’ collection is his type of
preparation. His desire was to create
@ preparation which would, as near

 

as possible, eliminate breakage and
the harmful effects of light and dust
on the specimens. Summoning his
ingenuity, he devised individual hold-
ers for each set of eggs.

After the eggs are taken from the
nest, the contents are removed and
the eggs rinsed and dried. They are
then placed on a soft white cushion.
in the containers. The holders vary
in size from two to seven inches in’
diameter, the size used depending on)
the size of the egg clutch. A dust-
proof cover of convex crystal glass)
is then placed over the containers,

1
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jthe date and place of thé collection.

,| benefit a great number of individuals,

to make the record complete

The holders are made of durable
cardboard and the convex covers al-
low an abundance of light to pene-
trate, allowing at least 80 per cent
visibility, and all handling of the eggs
is eliminated,

Mr. Bee declared that the nearest
approach to such a type of prepara-
tion is at the University of California,
There the eggs are bedded in cotton,
which permits only a small percent-
age of visibility.

Records Numbers

On the bottom of each holder is!
carefully recorded the American Or-
nithologists’ union number, Mr. Bee's
private number, the set number and

The individual holders are then
grouped in trays and filed away in a
cabinet.

Mr, Bee’s natural history speci-
mens will sooner or later find their
way to a museum, where they can

A study of our birds will do much
for their protection and the knowl-
edge thus gained will be for their best
good, Mr. Bee pointed out. A scien-
tifie egg collection assists greatly in
obtaining additional information and
aids in the classification of our birds,

Collecting is done only under the
supervision of the state and national
government and is permitted only
when some contribution to science
can be made. ~

“The vultures and the eagles are

the only birds that do not lay a sec-
ond setting of eggs after one has
been taken, and even they have been
known to lay a second setting,” Mr,
Bee declared,
_ The rarest and most cherished set-
ting of eggs in Mr. Bee's collection
is that of a western goshawk which
he obtained in the Wasatch moun-
tains east of Provo last summer.
James still carries the scars where
the goshawk clawed him in an effort
to thwart his purpose, It was only
when the youth brandished a hatchet
that the bird gave up the fight to
protect her nest. :

The quest for records of new na-

 

tive species and new récords of mi-
grant species is a task which Mr. Bee
hopes to actively assist. He is cer-'
tainly doing his share to add to the,
fund of knowledge of our Utah birds, |
of which we have been so abundant-
ly blessed, i
_ Nesting records are only available!
of 150 out of more than 200 of our
native birds and he is working hard

 

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