THE SWIFT. 91 



but to go into the Swifts of the Indian region would be 

 getting too far away from the birds of Calcutta altogether, 

 so that I will confine myself to further stating that the little 

 producer of the best quality of edible nests (Collocalie 

 francica) breeds in the Andamans and Nicobars, though 

 he wilfully refuses to be civilized and inhabit houses ; 

 which is the more vexatious as a near relative of his (Collo- 

 calia linchi), who builds a nest so adulterated with moss 

 as to be quite worthless, has taken freely to buildings at 

 Port Blair, and can be studied there readily. Perhaps 

 transposing the eggs of the two species might persuade the 

 first class bird not to waste his sweetness on the desert 

 rocks, and they breed at the same time ; so valuable a 

 product ought to be worth a little trouble in its cultivation. 

 As for our humble companion here, he is to be tolerated if 

 not loved ; it is difficult to get up much interest in Swifts, 

 which have never enjoyed the popularity of swallows ; 

 but think of what we might have to put up with in the 

 way of insects if he were not here to make at least some 

 impression on their numbers ! For Swifts, as every one 

 probably knows, live on small winged insects, and of all 

 the places in which I have ever lived, Calcutta is facile 

 princeps in the production of such amenities of existence. 



