102 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF INDIA. 



In tliis island I discovered a cave tenanted by hundreds of 

 the Pale-rumped Swiftlet ( C. spodiopi/gia), of which as well 

 as of their eggs and nests'* I secured numenras specimens. 

 The cave ran half through the island, had one entrance facing 

 the sea (in a sheer precipitous face going straight down into 

 deep water), by which a boat could enter for a few yards, and 

 another opening near the summit of the island. The cave, or 

 more properly the passage, for it was a narrow irregular tunnel, 

 was very dark, and very difficult to get about in. It contained 

 many hundreds of nests, mostly in the darkest corners, here 

 scattered singly, there clustered iu groups. Most of the nests 

 were empty, a few contained young ones, and altogether some 

 half dozen contained one or two long oval white eggs. With 

 a net I could have secured every bird, as it was, I found shoot- 

 ino- them as they suddenly emerged out of the darkness 

 of the cave, and darted like lightning round an adjoining 

 rocky corner, the boat rocking and pitching violently the whole 

 while, about the sharpest work I ever took in hand, and I 

 secured only 12 birds to about 30 shots. 



Others of the party, especially the Philosopher, took an unfa- 

 vorable view of my execution ; it was, therefore, gratifying 

 when they joined me later to find that they were even 

 more unsuccessful than I had been. The Philosopher, to the 

 best of my belief, never got his gun off before the bird 

 was well round the corner. Och ! He at last ejaculated with 

 a gesture that showed how entirely he considered the occupa- 

 tion beneath him, and that although to humour us he had oblig- 

 ingly fired away all his cartridges, he had never himself thought 

 of injuring the poor birds. Och ! You fellows have wasted 

 enough powder and shot ; I will not have the poor birds 

 more frightened"; (to the men) " Pull away" — and so the 

 men did pull, and we were soon en route to the old 

 Scotia, the Philosopher on the way back lecturing the 

 Geologist and myself for our want of skill and remarking, 

 " You two fellows, you cannot shoot ! pah ! not a dam ! if I could 

 not shoot better I would never shoot another shot, och V We 

 did once presume to submit that we had at any rate between 

 us killed 20 birds, whereas he, but here he arrested us with a 

 frown of such ineffable contempt that we felt at once that had 

 he only chosen he would have killed the whole 20 at the first 

 shot, and so, humbled and repentant, we were rowed in silence 

 to our ship. a 



* See further page 160. 



