Poring through the latest batch of monographs in the "Birds of North America"
project, I spied this gem from the "Metabolism and Temperature Regulation"
section of the clark's Nutcracker account:

"...nutcracker at -65C in laboratory maintained oxygen consumption of 7.4
ml/g/h (42.0 W/kg) for 55 min (M. L. Laudenslager and Diana F. Tomback unpubl.,
cited in: Tomback, D. F. 1982. Dispersal of whitebark pine seeds by Clark's
Nutcracker: a mutualism hypothesis. J. Anim. Ecol. 51: 451-467)."

Needless to say, the likely demise of the bird was not detailed. Now call me
just a lily-livered liberal eco-whacko, but I cannot accept any justification of
freeze-drying a wired up Clark's Nutcracker in the name of science. Makes me
shudder at what must be going on in those quiet university backrooms.

- Jack



==========================
Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
jbowling at direct.ca