112 



THE ESCULENT SWALLOW. 



and swell, and, when thoroughly dressed, are said to bear some resemblance to rather stiff 

 turtle fat. To Eui'oi)eaii jialates, however, they appear very Insipid, and not woi'thy of the 

 great value wliicih is set upon tlieui by the Chinese. 



It is rather remarkable, that the Esculent Swallows have a habit of building their cuilous 

 nests in horizcjntal layers. 



The substance of which these nests are (jomposed is evidently of an animal nature to some 

 extent, altiiough cei'tain vegetable matters, such as the gelatinous fuci or sea-weeds may be 

 admixed with it. Whatever may be the basis of the nutriment that forms these nests, it 



BSCULiJNT «WAll,OW8.-6'u«otvrfia uidlftca. 



is clear tliat a very lai'ge poi-tion of it is furnished by (certain glands, which pour out a 

 viscid secretion. 



The trade in these sti'ange articles of diet is a very lai-ge one, and still holds its ground, 

 the annual weight or nests that is obtained from the various caves in which the Esculent Swal- 

 lows take uj) their residence being npwai'ds of fifty thousand pounds, and the value of the 

 goods more than a million dollars. In the Philipi)iiiH Islands the bird is called the 

 Salangana. The tribe of the genus Oollocalia approach very nearly to the true Swallows in 

 their structures, but have innny points which nrv identical with the Swifts. Tlie second 

 [)rimary f(!ather is the largest, the iirst three toes point forwai'd, :iiid the fourth toe backward, 

 and the tail is moderate in length. 



The nests ;u'e harried about three times in every year, and it is said that the natives who 

 are enqjloyed in procuiing th(!m are cai-eful to desti'oy the old and deejj-colored nc^sts, in order 

 to force the birds to build new habitations, which command a high price in the marlcet. The 



