Birds’ Eggs as Food 
was announced that 41,000,000 eggs, of a 
total capital value of £430,619, had been dis- 
tributed to base hospitals in France and at 
home (fteld, 25.1.109). 
In March 1917 the value of GULLS’ eggs as 
food was bruited about, and several questions 
on the subject were asked in the House of 
Commons. The attendant dangers of taking 
the eggs of those species which nest on clifis 
proved insurmountable, and possibly the 
difficulty of collection of the eggs of the 
BLACK-HEADED GULL made this scheme im- 
practicable. Nevertheless the Home Office, 
acting under the advice of the Board of Agri- 
culture, issued special orders removing pro- 
tection, in certain counties, until June 21st 
from the eggs of the GUILLEMOT, RAZORBILL, 
PUFFIN, BLACK-HEADED GULL, and other 
GuLLS. The main difficulty in connection 
with the taking the eggs of GULLS and other 
sea-fowl was the impossibility of guarantee- 
ing that they were fresh; for it was realised 
that if incubated, even in the slightest degree, 
the egg would be unsaleable. 
The relatively smaller numbers and more 
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