The Vanishing Whooper The whooping crane, our largest, loudest and rarest bird, could never keep its mouth shut, so now it’s nearly extinct November 1 1947 C. FRED BODSWORTH The Vanishing Whooper C. FRED BODSWORTH NEXT SUMMER, for the fourth consecutive year, some of the continent’s top wild-life experts will be flying back and forth across 250,000 square miles of northwestern Canada muskeg lands in a bird’s-nesting hunt that has already cost $75,000 without an egg yet to show for it. The eggs they seek are HO priceless that the golden goose variety wouldn’t he worth a penny a dozen in comparison. And if t he eggs are ever found they will be left untouched where they lie. Barhed wire will he strung around them and armed guards will be posted with orders to let no one closer than half a mile.