l6o Koch, Edible Bird-Nests. [is^"jan. 



Edible Bird-Nests. 

 By Franz Otto Koch. 

 [Deutsche LandwirtsdiaftlicJie Presse, 1909, p. 797-) 

 The Salanganes, which build the edible nests that are looked 

 upon as a very great delicacy, especially by the Chinese, are 

 small birds belonging to the family of Indian Swallows. Their 

 name is derived from the main island, Salanganes, belonging to 

 a group of islands of the same name near the Malacca Peninsula., 

 where these birds abound. The Salanganes, which are of similar 

 dark grey appearance to our bank Swallows, are birds from 12 

 to 14 cm. (5 to 5| inches) in length, and measuring 30 cm. (12 

 inches) across the wings. Their wings are of considerable size, 

 and therefore very suitable for sailing through the air. Their 

 beaks, as is the case with all other Swallows, reach very far back 

 behind their eyes. Anyone who has sojourned at the south 

 coast of Java, with its rocky cliffs falling perpendicularly into 

 the sea, will remember with delight the panorama spread before 

 the gaze of the tourist. At the foot of these cliffs the breakers 

 which roll in from the very deep sea have hollowed out the lime- 

 stone rock for thousands of years, and formed large caves, which 

 are overhung by the rocks. Here it is that the Salanganes are 

 found. Where the breakers are strongest, and the sea has 

 formed huge caves in the rocks, large numbers of these birds 

 may be seen flying to and fro. They may be seen passing 

 through the thickest spray, where they find their food, consisting 

 of small marine animals. If one walks to the prominent rocks 

 east of Rongcape and sits down on the edge of the precipice, a 

 cave can be seen near the foot of it, and by watching the rolling 

 waves it will be noticed that the entrance of this cave is entirely 

 covered with the sea, which now and then recedes, when the 

 Swallows will be seen to pass in or out of the cave with lightning 

 speed. Far back in this high and dark cave their nests are 

 attached to the rock. As often as a large wave approaches the 

 sea enters the cave with a thundering noise, and closes it up 

 completely for several minutes, compressing the air in the interior 

 of the cave and confining it to a very small volume. The 

 compressed air, on the other hand, throws the water out again 

 with tremendous force, and a column of spray shoots out from 

 the cave like the smoke from a discharged gun. That such a 

 grand phenomenon must make a deep impression on the mind 

 may be easily imagined. 



Before we describe the gathering of the nests, let us pause for 

 a minut(f and see how they are built. As it is very difficult to 

 watch the birds closely, it is not to be wondered at that up to 

 the present day doubts exist amongst investigators as to the 

 composition of the nests. Bontius says that "small birds 

 belonging to the family of the Swallows move at the time of 



