48 THE LIFE OF A BIRD. 



mens of the edible bir<s-nest. In an unprepared 

 state these nests have a shining look, as if they 

 were made of some dry gelatinous matter. When 

 prepared, the impurities being removed, they 

 resemble still more closely matter of this descrip- 

 tion. The birds which construct these singular 

 nests are natives of Java. 



In the Chinese markets so highly are these nests 

 valued, that they sell, if of the finest quality, at 

 the enormous price of nearly 61. per Ib. ! They are 

 used in soup, and are considered excellent restora- 

 tives. There is a great dispute among writers as 

 to the materials employed in these singular nests. 

 From their external appearance it is extremely 

 difficult even to form a conjecture as to the pro- 

 bable source from whence they are derived. It is 

 now, however, very commonly believed, that 

 these materials are a kind of sea-weed. The 

 birds near the sea-coast appear to use little or 

 no other ingredient in their fabrics ; but those 

 which build their nests inland seem to use the 

 sea-weed as a sort of cement to bind other 

 materials together. In the British Museum there 

 are several specimens of these nests. By the 

 side of them are fragments of another, formed 



