CATALOGUE. 
103 
the bird itself, its form and colour, it details the author's personal 
observation on its habits, locality, and value in commerce, with many- 
new and interesting particulars. Mr. Hooyman is the first writer 
who has correct notions on the substance from which the nests are 
prepared ; and he contradicts and refutes the erroneous opinion 
entertained by preceding writers, as to the production of the nests 
from glutinous matters collected from MoUusca or from Fuci found 
near the seashore. He distinctly and correctly states the food to 
consist of insects ; which is confirmed by later observations. The 
birds, he states, resort during the day to marshes, or hover over the 
inland lakes and plains, which abound with insects of all kinds ; and 
he endeavours to prove that it would be impossible for birds living in 
the interior, to reach the coast and return to their caves in the course 
of one day. He is also the first author who entertains, at least par- 
tially, a correct opinion respecting the materials of which the nest is 
produced; describing it as being elaborated from the food of the 
bird, by a peculiar organic effort resembling secretion. This process 
has since been carefully examined and illustrated by Sir Everard 
Home, in a paper read before the Eoyal Society. After detailing 
the peculiar structure of the gastric glands observed in the esculent 
swallow. Sir Everard gives it as his opinion, that the mucous sub- 
stance of which the nest is composed is secreted from the membranous 
tubes which surround the ducts of the glands previously described.* 
In the account of the voyage of the embassy of Earl Macartney to 
China, the vessels, in sailing up the Straits of Sunda, noticed in the 
precipitous peak, the Cap above mentioned by M. Poivre, two caverns 
containing edible birds'-nests, which led the author of the account 
(Sir George Staunton) to some interesting remarks on the subject, in 
which he gives the substance of the paper of the Eev. J. Hooyman, 
above referred to. 
Professor Oken, in his general Natural History, has condensed in 
one view the observations given by various writers on the esculent 
swallow ; which may be consulted with advantage : and the familiar 
History of Birds, by the late Dr. Edward Stanley, Bishop of Norwich, 
contains a pleasing and interesting epitome of what has been hitherto 
recorded on the subject. 
* Mr. Blyth confirms the researches of Sir Everard Home, by stating, in refe- 
rence to this subject, that there can be no doubt that the glutinous matter found 
in the nests of various species of swallows is secreted by large salivary glands ; and 
Mr. Laidley arrived at the same conclusion as to their constitution, by chemical 
analysis. See Journ. A. S, B. XIV. p. 210. 
