14 
XI. THE FOEEST RESERVE. 
The Forest Reserve has been established at Gomantong. It is four miles 
square and consists of 10,240 acres. This is a move in the right direction although 
it cannot yet be stated categorically that a forest reserve is essential to the welfare 
of the swiftlets. 
The food of the birds consists of small flying insects not restricted in habitat 
to heavy forest and it is certain from first Imnd observation that the birds wander 
far in their foraging excursions. 
It is certain, however, that the reserve does fulfil useful functions and should 
therefore be maintained. 
It preserves the caves in isolation, regulates the approach of strangers, and 
generally facilitates control of the area. To allow timber cutting by engines in the 
immediate proximity of the nesting caves, indiscriminate shooting in the neighbour- 
hood or the establishment of permanently occupietl cooly lines in connection with 
any commercial venture would be a most hazardous experiment. 
It is good policy to make reserves ; they nead not be too large. The Reserve 
should be rejgarded purely as a means of isolating the nesting colonies thereby 
making control easy and eliminating the possibility of interference, the results of 
which cannot be foreseen with any certainty : they should not be regarded as 
indispensable ecologically. 
XII, THE YEARLY CYCLE. 
The success of the birds' nest industry and indeed its very existence depends 
on the fact that the swiftlets persevere in their attempts to rear a brood in the face 
of systematic persecution, i, robbing of their nests and eggs but this is not the 
place to consider the ethics of the question. When at last the birds are allowed to 
hatch their eggs they are content and make no further attempt at nidification 
until the next season. 
It is instructive to note the progi-ess of events throughout the year and, most 
important of all, it may be noted that the yearly cycles of the two profluctive 
species of swiftlets are not coincident. 
CoUocalia fucijyhaga. ^The '^season" is opened by the builders of the profitable 
white nests. They start to build in December and the nests are all finislied in March. 
Eggs, however, occur as early as '28tli February and the harvest of the first crop 
of nests is begun at the end of February and is continued for about twelve days. 
The second nests containing eggs are ready for collecting fifty or sixty days later, 
and harvested in May. The birds are allowed to hatch their third lot of eggs and 
the third collection of nests is not taken until the young are fledged about the 
middle of July. 
CoUocalia lowi.^Thh species nests rather later in the year than C, fuciphaga. 
The first black nests are begun in January and collected in April and May, The 
second crop is taken in July or August. 
Both species are comparatively regular in their habits but it seems agreed 
that abnormal weather conchtions of any kind tend to make the nests late. 
