138 



THE WHITE-BEEASTED SWALLOW. 





some extent, althongli certain 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 

 uests, it is clear that a very large portion of it is furnished by certain glands, which pour 

 out a viscid secretion. 



The trade in these strange articles of diet is a very large one, and still holds its ground, 

 the annual weight of nests that is obtained from the various caves in which the Esculent 

 Swallows take up their residence being upwards of fifty thousand pounds, and the value 

 of the goods more than two hundred thousand pounds. In the Philippine Islands, the 



bird is called the Salangana. The tribe of 

 the genus Collocalia approach very nearly 

 to the true Swallows in their structures, 

 but have many points which are identical 

 with the Swifts. The second primary 

 feather is the largest, the first three toes 

 point forward, and the fourth toe back- 

 ward, and tlie tail is moderate in length. 



The nests are harried about three times 

 in every year, and it is said that the na- 

 tives who are employed in procuring them 

 are careful to destroy the old and deep- 

 coloured nests, in order to force the birds 

 to build new habitations, which command 

 a high price in the market. The construc- 

 tion of a single nest is a work of consider- 

 able time, occujiying nearly two months, 

 and the structure of these wonderful 

 habitations seems to show that the bird 

 forms them by procuring out of its mouth 

 a viscid secretion, and which hardens into 

 adhesive threads as it comes in contact 

 with the air. A close examination of the 

 nest shows that it is composed of a great 

 many layers of irregular network, the 

 meshes of which connect them in every 

 direction. Whatever it may be, it cer- 

 tainly possesses great strengthening and 

 restorative powers when cooked, and is 

 said to be an excellent specific in cases of indigestion. 



The Esculent Swallow is a small bird, and its colour is brown on the upper parts of' 

 the body, and white beneath. The extremity of the tail is greyish-white. The British 

 Museum possesses specimens of all the Swallows which are known to make these 

 curious edible nests, and have for that reason been somewhat wrongly termed edible 

 Swallows. In point of fact, a Swallow is • not at all an edible bird, possessing a most 

 nauseatingly sweet flavour, as I can testify from personal experience. 



'^^'y^A't 



WniTF.-BRE.'LSTED SWALLOW.— .4H!Cora leucoskrnon. 



The elegant little AVhite-beeasted Swallow is the Australian representative of the 

 genus Atticora. 



It is a very small bird, the total length being only about three inches and a half. 

 The colour is chiefly of two sorts, white and black-brown of different depths, according 

 to the individual, and the position of the feathers. The crown of the head is light 

 brown, dotted with darker spots, and succeeded by a white ring. A black band passes 

 from the corner of the mouth round the back of the head, embracing the eyes in its 

 course. The chin, throat, and chest are pure white, and the remainder of the phmiage is 

 deep black-brown, the line of demarcation between the two tints being very strongly drawn. 



All that is known of the habits of this pretty little bird is contained in the notes of 

 Mr. Gilbert, quoted in Gould's "Birds of Australia :" 



