[NHCOLL-L:455] FW: RE: bird egg display

[Panza, Robin]

>>>The eggs in nests should be safe enough as is.  For the others, if you
have a small depression or tray, fill it partway with fine sand and set the
eggs in that sand. The sand will form around the base of the egg and keep it
from rolling, as well as to provide some minor cushion for it.<<<

It has been my experience that neither suggestion may work.  Sand or other
granular material tends to flatten out, leaving the much lighter egg rolling
around on top.  And while some nests may be good protection against rolling,
others are not.  We recently had a jostling of a diorama of Green Herons at
the nest.  The eggs rolled noticeably.  A moderate earthquake (above richter
6.0) could have dumped the eggs onto the bottom of the case.  

I don't have any alternatives; I'm not convinced there is any protection
against earthquakes that would leave the eggs visible.  I look forward to
other responses.

Robin

Robin K Panza                         panzar at carnegiemuseums.org
Collection Manager, Section of Birds          ph:  412-622-3255
Carnegie Museum of Natural History       fax: 412-622-8837
4400 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh  PA  15213-4008  USA