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l-eft of the bodv. The bill is broad, tein.ir.atmg in a llarp 

 extremity, and iiicurvated like an awl. Its v.idth is in- 

 creafed by a naked piece of fkin, refembling parchment, 

 which, when the bill is (liut, is folded together ; but when 

 open, is conllderably extended, and enables the bird, while 

 on wing, to catch with greater ea(e the infcfts that ferve it 

 for food. The eyes are black and large ; the tongue is 

 fhaped like an arrow, and not forked ; the ears are flat, 

 round, naked fpots, with fmall oblong openings, and are 

 wholly couceal'.d under the feathers of the head ; the neck 

 is veiy fhort, as well as the legs and bones of the wings ; 

 the tliighs are wholly covered with feathers ; and the very 

 tender lower parts of the legs, and the feet, are covered 

 with a fkin like black p:ir',hment. Each foot has four toes ; 

 three before, and one turned backwards. The toes are fe- 

 parate to tlicir roots ; and the middle one, together with the 

 claw, is as long as the lower part of the leg. Each toe is 

 furnifhed with a black, fliarp, crooked claw, corfiderdbly 

 long, by which the biid can cafily attach itfclf to cra^s of 

 rocks. The tail is as loi.g as the body, together with the 

 neck and head : when exter.ded it has the form of a wedge, 

 and confifts of ten large feathers ; the four firft of which on 

 each fide are long, and, when the tail is clofcd, extend al- 

 mofl; an inch beyond the reft. The other feathers decreafe 

 towards the middle of the tail, and are equal to abo'it the 

 length of the body. The whole bird is very light and ten- 

 der ; ten ot them together weighed little more than zi 

 ounces. The Javanefe call it " lavvit ;" but thofe who live 

 in the mountains, " berongdagx," or " waled :" voerong, 

 in the Malay language, lignifying in general a bird. 



There are two places in particular, near Batavia, where 

 thefe birds are found in great numbers. The firft, Ca- 

 lappa Nongal, iies about lo miles fouth of the city ; and 

 the other, Sampia, is fomewhat more diftant to the fouth- 

 veft : but both are in that range of high land extending 

 towards the fea, and apparently different from the large 

 ridge that extends over the whole ifiand. Befides thefe 

 there are aU'o other places in the fame diilrift, or at a greater 

 diftance from the coaft, which either produce a few, or are 

 carefully concealed by the Javanefe, to whom they are 

 known. The two bird mountains above-mentioned, called 

 by the Javanefe (2:0a) caverns, are infulated rocks, hollow 

 within, and pierced with numerous openings of different 

 fi7.es ; but fome fo fmall, that they feem to be peculiarly 

 adapted to the fecurity of thefe httlc animals. On the 

 outlide, thefe rocks are covered with various kinds of tall 

 trees ; and within, they confill of grey calcareous ftone and 

 white marble. To the fides of thefe caverns the birds affix 

 their fmall nefls in horizontal rows, and fo clofe as almo.1 

 to adhere together. They are conftrucled at different 

 heights, from jo to 300 feet ; and no cavity that is dry and 

 clean is left unoccupied ; but if the fides of the caverns be 

 in the lead wet or moift, the birds defert them. At day- 

 break thefe birds fly abroad from their hole?, with a 1 ud 

 fluttering noife ; and in dry weather rife inftantaneoully to 

 fuch a height in the atmofphere, for the purpofe of fceking 

 their food in dillant parts, that thuy are foon out of fight. 

 In the rainy feafon they never wander far from their holes, 

 particularly in Java, where fome rocks are fituated near the 

 ihore. About 4 in the afternoon thev return, and confine 

 thenafclves fo clofely to their retired habitations, that none 

 of them are feen to fly either out or in, except thofe that 

 are hatching. They feed upon all forts of infeCls that hover 

 over the ftagnated water ; and thefe, by the eafy extenCon 

 of their bills, they readily catch. Their moil dell ruftive 

 enemy is a kind ot hawk, which feizes many of them as they 

 itfue from their holes, and which the people frighten away 

 by (hooting at them. Their nells are prepared, favs this 



Vol. IV. 



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wiiter, from l!ie fltooCTeft ivmains of the food which they 

 life, and not of the fcum of the fea, or of fea-plants, as 

 fome have afferted. On this fubjeft, however, there have 

 been different opinions. Kacmpfer fays, that the fubftance 

 with which they form their nefts is the mollufca or fea- 

 worm ; according to Le Poivre, fi!h-fpawn ; according to 

 Dalry:nple, fea-weeds ; and according to Linnsus, the ani- 

 mal fubllance often found on the fca-beach, and called by 

 fifliermen blubbers or jeilits. In proof of his opinion, this 

 author fuggcH^, that it is known from experience, th'.t 

 thofe bird?, whicli build their nells in the two rocks before- 

 mentioned, have never been found on the fea-coa!V, and could 

 not pofFibly fly thither and return again in fo few hours, on 

 account of the high :nter\'er.ing mountain?, and the (lormy 

 winds that often prevail among them. The great d fference 

 in the colour and valre of thefe ncfls pro-i-es, that their 

 goodnefs depends merely on the fuperabundance and quality 

 of the infefts on which they feed, and ptrhap-. on the great€4- 

 or lefs folitude of the place where they feek nourifkment. 

 T^iofe found in the territory of Calappa Nongal and Goa- 

 gadia are exceedingly grey, and worth one third lefs than 

 thofe produced in tfie territcr)' of Sampia ; and thefe latter 

 are not to be compared with an excellent fort which is every 

 year imported from Ternate and Paflier, or which is to be 

 found on the furro;!nding ifland:^, particularly to the eaft of 

 Borneo. Thefe birds occupy two months in preparing their 

 nefts : thev then lay their eggs (two in number), on which 

 they fit for 15 or 16 days. As foon as the young are 

 fledged, people begin to coUedl the nefls, which is regularly 

 done ever)- four months ; and this forms the harveft ot thofe 

 who are the proprietors of the rock^ The bufincfs of tak- 

 ing down the nells is performed by perfons accufl:omed f:om 

 their youth to climb thefe rocks. For this purpofe they 

 conftruft ladders of reeds and bamboos, by which tl-.ey 

 afcend to the holes ; or, if the caverns are too deep, they em- 

 ploy (hip-rcpes. When they h^ave dcfcendcd to the bottom 

 of the caverns, they place bamboos with notches in then; 

 againft the fides, if thefe be fufScient, in order to get up to 

 the nefts ; bat if they cannot thus reach them, they afcerd 

 the ladders, and pull down the neils with poles of bamboo 

 made for that purpofe. There are alfo certain holes to 

 which people can afcend by means of fteps made of bam- 

 boos ; but thefe are very few. This employment is very 

 dangerous : many lofe their lives in purfuing it, and more 

 particularly thofe who attempt to rob thefe caverns at im- 

 proper feafons ; for guarding againll whofe depredations, 

 there are fmall watch-houfes conftruclcd in their vicinity. 

 The mountaineers who engage in this occupation, never un- 

 dertake their labour till they have flaughtered or facrificed a 

 buffalo ; which cuftom is continually obferved by the Java- 

 nefe, at the commencement of any estraordinarv enlcrprize. 

 On fuch oocafions they mutter over a few pravers, anoint 

 themfelves with aromatic oil, and fumigate the holes with 

 odoriferous fubftan;es. At tl;e chief of thefe caverns, in 

 the ifland of Java, a particular protefling fem.ale deity is 

 worfhipped, under the name of " Raton L.aut Ridul," or 

 Princtls of the South Sea. She is provided with a fmall 

 hut, and a covered fleeping pluce, together with various 

 elegant articles of drefs, which no one but a piincefs mull 

 approach. On eveiy Friday, v.-hen the nefts are taken down, 

 incenfe is continually burnt ; and the body and cluthes of 

 every one who intends to afcend the rocks muft be expofed 

 to it. In order to have fight in the caverns, they ufe torches 

 made of the refinous gum of a large tree called "caret," and 

 the inner bark of the arek tree. 



The gathering of the nells continue* no longer than a 

 month, and may be repeated three times a year. Some fay- 

 it 'nay be done a fourth time ; but the moll experier.ccd fay, 

 3 M that. 



