658 



CrcaStirj? of Batumi $i 



called, having been noticed in various parts 

 of the country, and generally believed to be 

 the winter quarters of these birds, where, 

 heaps upon heaps, they dozed away the 

 winter in a state of torpidity. Here they 

 have been seen on their resurrection in spring, 

 and here they have again been remarked 

 descending to the death-like sleep in au- 

 tumn." 



" The Chimney Swallow is easily distin- 

 guished in air from the rest of its tribe here, 

 by its long wings, its short body, the quick 

 and slight vibrations of its wings, and its 

 wide unexpected diving rapidity of flight ; 

 shooting swiftly in various directions without 

 any apparent motion of the wings, and ut- 

 tering the sounds tsip tsip tsip tsee tsee in a 

 hurried manner. In roosting, the thorny 

 extremities of its tail are thrown in for its 

 support. It is never seen to alight but in 

 hollow trees or chimneys ; it is always most 

 gay and active in wet and gloomy weather ; 

 and is the earliest abroad in the morning, 

 and latest out in evening, of all our Swal- 

 lows. About the first or second week in 

 September they move off to the south, being 

 often observed on their route, accompanied 

 by the purple martins." This species is four 

 inches and a half in length, and twelve inches 

 in extent ; of a deep sooty brown, except 

 the chin and line over the eye, which are of 

 a dull white. 



The ESCULENT SWALLOW. (Collocallia 

 esculenta.) This bird is four inches and a 

 half in length, and eleven in expanse : its 

 beak is black : the upper parts of the plu- 

 mage shining dusky black ; under parts pale 

 ash-colour ; wings, when closed, one inch 

 longer than the tail, which is slightly forked, 

 and has all the feathers of an uniform black 

 colour, and rounded at the end. The nest 

 of this bird is exceedingly curious, and is 

 composed of such materials that it is not 

 only edible, but is accounted among the 

 greatest dainties by the Asiatic epicures. It 

 generally weighs about half an ounce, and 

 is shaped like a common Swallow's nest, 

 the flat side adhering to the rock. They are 

 found in vast numbers in caves of various 

 islands in the Soolo Archipelago, and are 

 particularly abundant in Sumatra, about 

 Croe, near the south end of the island : they 

 have the appearance of fibrous, imperfectly 

 concocted isinglass. More or less of this 

 substance is contained in the nests of all 

 Swallows in that region. The manner in 

 which the substance is procured is not ascer- 

 tained : the most probable suppositions are, 

 that it is the spawn of fish gathered by the 

 bird, or a secretion elaborated in the bird's 

 body. The birds, after having spent nearly 

 two months in preparing their nests, lay 

 each two eggs, which are hatched in about 

 fifteen days : when the young birds become 

 fledged, it is thought the proper time to seize 

 upon their nests, which is done regularly 

 three times a year, and is effected by means 

 of ladders of bamboo and reeds, by which 

 the people descend into the caves ; but when 

 these are very deep, rope ladders are used. 

 It is attended with considerable danger, and 

 many perish in the attempt. The Javanese 



and Chinese collect the nests, and make of 

 them a profitable article of commerce. Dis- 

 solved in broths, &c., they make a delicious 

 jelly. The finest are those obtained before 

 the nest has been contaminated by the 

 young birds ; they are pure white, and are 

 scarce and valuable. The inferior ones are 

 dark, streaked with blood, or mixed with 

 feathers : they are chiefly converted into 

 glue. The only preparation which the 

 birds' nests undergo is that of simple dry- 

 ing, without direct exposure to the sun, 

 after which they are packed in small boxes, 

 usually of half a picul. They are assorted 

 for the Chinese market into three kinds, 

 according to their qualities, distinguished 

 into first or best, second, and third qualities. 

 Caverns that are regularly managed, will 

 afford in one hundred parts, fifty-three 

 three-tenth parts of those of the first quality, 

 thirty-five parts of those of the second, and 

 eleven-seventeenth parts of those of the 

 third. They are regarded only ac an article 

 of expensive luxury, and are sold at the 

 most extraordinary prices ; they are, con- 

 sequently, consumed only by the great ; 

 and, indeed, the best part is sent to the ca- 

 pital for the use of the court. The sensual 

 Chinese use them under an idea that they 

 are powerfully stimulating and tonic ; but 

 it is probable that their most valuable qua- 

 lity is their being perfectly harmless. 



The FAIRY MARTIN. (.Collocalia Ariel.) 

 This curious and beautiful species is nume- 

 rously dispersed over all the southern por- 

 tions of Australia, where it usually arrives 

 in the month of August, and departs again 

 in February or March ; during which in- 

 terval it rears two or three broods. It is 

 seldom seen within a few miles of the sea- 

 coasts, but wherever suitable situations for 

 breeding present themselves in the interior, 

 it abounds. The nest, which is bottle- 

 shaped with a long neck, is composed of mud 

 or clay, and, like that of our Common Martin, 

 is only constructed in the morning and 

 evening, unless the day be wet or lowering. 

 In the construction of the nests they appear 

 to work in small companies, six or seven 

 assisting in the formation of each nest, one 

 remaining within and receiving the mud 

 brought by the others in their mouths : in 

 shape they are nearly round, but vary in 

 size from four to six or seven inches in di- 

 ameter ; the spouts being eight, nine, or ten 

 inches in length. Sometimes they are built 

 in low decayed trees ; sometimes under 

 verandahs or in the corners of windows ; and 

 not unfrequently clusters of them are at- 

 tached to the perpendicular banks of rivers, 

 the sides of rocks, &c. ; but always in the 

 vicinity of water. They are lined with 

 feathers and fine grasses. Eggs four or five 

 in number, sometimes white, at others 

 blotched with red. The Fairy Martin has 

 the crown of the head rust-red ; back, sca- 

 pularies, and wing-coverts deep steel-blue ; 

 wings and tail dark brown ; rump buffy 

 white ; upper tail-coverts brown ; under 

 surface white, tinged with rust-red, parti- 

 cularly on the sides of the neck and flanks ; 

 the feathers of the throat with a fine line of 



