46 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
outside, by finding many smaller caves connected with the roof 
of Simud Itam, it seemed impossible for the Malays to have 
reached these places unless they too, like the Swifts, could fly, 
We gazed and gazed at the wonderful scene around and above 
us, but as we had to ascend far up the cliff we started on our 
perpendicular climb; in this we were assisted in many places by 
ladders fixed to the rock, and at others by projections formed by 
the rugged nature of the limestone, which was weather-worn into 
many fantastic shapes. 
After an ascent of nearly 400 ft. in the glowing sun, the 
mouth of the white cave, Simud Putih, is reached; it is imme- 
diately over the right-hand circular opening in the roof of Simud 
Itam; this cave is the main entrance for the Swifts, and they 
were flying in and out in numbers. This entrance is about 
40 ft. high by 60 ft. wide, and here live most of the nest- 
gatherers, together with the company’s guard of soldiers. The 
scene was most picturesque, and the brightly-coloured and varied 
costumes of the men, all of whom were armed with either rifle, 
spear, or kris, reminded me very forcibly of the scene of the rob- 
bers’ cave from a Christmas pantomime at home, ten thousand 
miles away. The head man placed at our disposal a raised platform 
of sticks, similar to that already described, built inside the mouth 
ofthe cave. Here we took a rest, as the climb had made everyone 
stream with perspiration. On the way up my Japanese had 
captured a very fine grey and white snake 6 ft. long, much to the 
horror of the Malays, who, as usual, said it was poisonous; but 
to convince them it was not I allowed it to bite me, without any 
bad effect. 
As soon as I was cool enough I sallied out to try and find the 
material the nests are made from, this being the main object of 
my journey. In this I was very speedily successful, and my only 
wonder now is that it should ever have been supposed to be such 
a great mystery. The nests are made from a sort of fungoid 
srowth that encrusts the limestone in all damp situations; it 
erows about an inch thick, outside dark brown, but inside white; 
the birds make the black nests from the outside layer, and the 
best quality of white nests are of course from the inside; it is 
taken by the bird in the mouth, and drawn out in a filament 
backwards and forwards, like a caterpillar weaving its cocoon. 
The natives are under thé impression that the bird that builds 
2A 
