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Show 9 I T r O 1 I V . ( ' - On guard: - - ' gannet sits close to one of its eggs which are hunted during the spring by collectors. A n For five weeks each spring Icelanders risk life and limb exploring the mainland and the surrounding islands for the eggs of birds that nest there. The eggs are considered a delicacy. Lowered by rope, buffeted by gusty winds, the collectors dangle hundreds of feet above the ground as they search ledges along the crags for eggs. When the eggs are collected sometimes through body twisting that would chal lenge a contortionist they're stored in the collector's sweater for safekeeping. It is a dangerous business and many lives have been lost, but the egg hunters consider the harvest worth the risk. Each small island off the Icelandic coast yields about 4000 guillemot, puffin, 1 v gannet and fulmar eggs, each of which will bring 8 Kronur (about 8 American cents) on the open market in Iceland. LJ. Icelander on cliff-fac- e s r steadies himself with rope to pick up a guillemot egg. i Doing it the easy way: Instead of being suspended he wanders on the cliff to search for eggs. t 18 1 PARADE MARCH 11, 1973 L |