15 
At Gomaiitoug it is cuaiouiary to collect the white neatB three times a yeai- 
and the black ueata twice a year. It ie not considered worth wliite to gather a 
third crop of b!ack nests especially as this would mean a siiecia! trip to the caves. 
The swiftlets are not truly migi'atory although they are subject to a certain 
amount of local movement when not breeding. According to my informants, 
Gomantong is a i>ernianent residence for a large number of birds throughout the 
year. The old nesting sites are used as roosting places by the non-breeding liirds. 
Local opinion is divided an to the numbers of the birds. Some say that tliey have 
been constant for fifty years ; otlier.s that more l>irds now nest in the caves than 
formerly. 
It is certain that in any one year a number of birds do not succeed in rearing 
a brood and that not all are persistent or virile enough to withstand the loss of 
two nests and perha[)s two clutches of eggs. 
One senior inhabitant of Bilit considered that of every ten birds robbed of their 
first nest, only four eventually reared a brood. The dilficiency in the species is of 
com^ made up by the young birds which probably breed before they are a year old. 
It is said that years ago, owing to a mistake, a fourth collection of white nests 
was made. These were few in number, bad in quality and mixed with many 
feathers. The following season the numbers of the breeding birds were sadly 
depleted. It is now suggested that ; — 
(1) Under no circmustance should more than three collections of white nesfea 
be allow^ed in a "season." 
(2) If on any occasion the collectors wish to gather the third crop of black 
nests no ofiicial objection should be raised. 
(3) Any sudden decrease in the numbers of the birds or a serious shortage in 
the crop of nests for any one year should be combated by the immediate enforce- 
ment of a close season which for convenience can be fixed in factors of one calendar 
year 1st January— 31st December. 
In the East Coast Residency white nests are collected in the middle of January, 
at the beginning of March and the beginning of May. Black nests are gathered 
in February and July. This information is contained in a letter written by the 
Resident of the East Coast and dated Ist January li)2i). 
Information about Mantanani Island is vague. According to oflicial records 
in 1924, the system w^as to make three collections yearly but the present District 
Officer states that nests are collected four times a year. 
The variation in the dates of the collections in different localities is extremely 
difficult to account for and although its existence cannot be denied I suspect that 
laxity of observation and expression will be found to account for some part of the 
discrepancies as well as the monsoon argument put forward by one Government 
Chief. 
The dates and periods outlined above for the Gomantong Caves are, it is 
believed, substantiall>- sound, although not obtained by direct personal observation. 
