138 



THE WHITE-BEEASTED SWALLOW. 



some extent, although certain vegetable matters, such as the gelatinous fuel or sea-weeds, 

 may be admixed with it. Whatever may be the basis of the nutriment that forms these 

 nests, it is clear that a very large portion of it is furnished by certain glands, which pour 

 out a viscid secretion. 



The trade in these strange articles of diet is a very large one, and stUl liolds its ground, 

 the annual weight of nests that is obtained from the various caves in which the Esculent 

 Swallows take up their residence lieing upwards of fifty thousand pounds, and the value 

 of the goods more than two hundred thousand pounds. In the I'hilippiue Islands, the 



bird is called the Salangana. The tribe of 

 the genus Cullocalta approach very nearly 

 to the true Swallows in tlieir structures, 

 but have many points which are identical 

 with the Swifts. The second primary 

 feather is the largest, the first three toes 

 point forward, and the fourth toe back- 

 ward, and tlie tail is moderate in length. 



The nests are liarried about three times 

 in every year, and it is said that the na- 

 tives who are employed in procuring them 

 are careful to destroy the old and deep- 

 coloured nests, in order to force the birds 

 to liuild new habitations, which command 

 a high price in the market. The construc- 

 tion of a single nest is a work of consider- 

 able time, occupying nearly two months, 

 and the structure of these wonderful 

 haljitations seems to show that the bird 

 forms them liy procuring out of its mouth 

 a viscid secretion, and which hardens into 

 adhesive threads as it comes in contact 

 with the air. A close examination of the 

 nest shows that it is composed of a gi-eat 

 many layers of irregular network, the 

 meshes of which connect them in every 

 direction. Whatever it may be, it cer- 

 tainly possesses great strengthening and 

 restorative powers when cooked, and is 

 said to be an excellent specific in cases of indigestion. 



Tlie Esculent Swallow is a small bird, and its colour is brown on tlie upper parts of 

 the body, and white beneath. The extremity of the taU is greyish-white. The British 

 IMuseum possesses specimens of all the Swallows which are known to make these 

 curious edible nests, and have for that reason been somewhat wrongly termed edible 

 Swallows. In point of fact, a SwaUow is not at all an edible bird, possessing a most 

 nauseatingly sweet flavour, as I can testify fi'om personal experience. 



The elegant little White-beeasted Swallow is the Australian representative of the 

 genus Atticora. 



It is a very small bird, the total length being only about three inches and a half. 

 The colour is chiefly of two sorts, white and black-brown of different depths, according 

 to the individual, and the position of the feathers. The crown of the head is light 

 brown, dotted with darker spots, and succeeded by a white ring. A black band passes 

 from the corner of tlie mouth round the back of the head, embracing the eyes in its 

 course. The chin, throat, and chest are pure white, and the remainder of the plumage is 

 dee]j black brown, the line of demarcation between the two tints being very strongly dra^\'n. 



All that is known of the habits of this pretty little bird is contained in the notes of 

 Mr. Gilbert, quoted in Gould's "Bii'ds of Australia :" 



WHITE-BRE.VSTED SWALLOW. — UUcora Iciicoslernon. 



