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boi'n in the neighlxjurhooil of tlie caves. Once their miiubei' was reduced ol' the 
local stock exfcemflinatetl it would take a miitdier of years [nv another local Bfcratn 
to estabhtih itself by a slow itiihix. 
The Brahminy Kite and its egfjs fshoiiUl be outlawed and classed as "vermin." 
It can be shot conveniently in ftandakan Bay. No sentiment need enter into this 
action as the si)ecies is common over a wide ran^fp and is not in the slightest 
danger of extinction. 
No other practical suggestion can he made other than that a cheap double- 
barrelled, twelve- bore gim should be kept in the Government oflice at Bilit with a 
supply of No. 4 shot. It could be borrowed by every responsible person visiting 
the caves and the number of kites would certainly be reduced. To many oflicers 
the shooting would provide a %velcome break to an otherwise boring journey. But 
all users of the gun should be warned against shooting the Rnake-birds or Darters 
( Aiihinga ritfa mekinogader ) which frequent the River Menungal or the beauti- 
ful stork-billed kingfishers which are more numerous between Bilit and (TOmantong 
than in any locality we have visited. 
It must not be understood that the kites are a plague at Goinantong or that 
the matter is urgent. There are a number of kites always there and as they work 
destruction they are best dead. The proposal i)Ut forward aboi^ would meet the 
case and l>e sutiicient to keep their numbers down. 
XVI. GUANO AND EGGS. 
Tt has been suggested that two additional though small sources of revenue 
might perhaps be provided by the guano deposits in the caves and liy the eggs a 
large number of which are thrown away every year. 
Although several possible avenues have been explored it is regretted that no 
practical suggestion can be made under this heading. Beferenccs in eaiiy numbers 
of the "British North Borneo Herald" show that the possibility of n til i zing the guano 
was considered many years ago. A description well worthy of study is contained 
in the said Jom-nal, III, No. 1, March 1B84, p. 7. 
I understand that the Forestry Department has also investigated the guano 
beds of the caves but owing to the absence of the ofiicei's of the Department when 
I was in Sandakan 1 could gain no confirmation of this, 
XVII, METHODS OF COLLECTING THE NESTS. 
The nests either singly or in small clusters are attached to the bare w^alls of 
the caves : it seems that no definite attempt is made to take advantage of natural 
projections of the rock. 
Nests of three species are, broadly speaking, found side by side ; but the nests 
of one species frequently occur in patches and sometimes a comparatively large 
area is occupied solely by one kind of nest. It is difficnlt to account for the birds' 
choice of sites. Some building areas are fairly exposed and the nests can be seen. 
