THE ESCULENT SWALLOW. 
417 
Ml'. Jerdan describes a visit which he paid to a cavern in the 
Island of Pigeons, near Honore. He was assured by his guide that the 
birds would return thither between eight and nine in the evening. 
He requested the man to secure some specimens for him ; and, 
accordingly, next day he appeared with several living salanganes, 
which, at nine o'clock in the evening, he had captured in their nests. 
In another cavern, which Jerdan visited in March, he found from 
fifty to a hundred nests, some containing eggs, and most of them recently 
constructed. There were about twenty pairs of birds. He adds, that 
near Darjeeling they frequently appear in large numbers ; generally in 
the month of August, and flying in a south-western direction. 
The salanganes have long been famous for their nests. Thus 
Bontius, quoted by Brehm, says : — " On the coast of China are found 
little birds of the swallow genus, which come from the interior of the 
country to build their nests on the sea-cliffs : they gather from the 
ocean-foam a gelatinous matter, probably spermaceti or fish-spawn, 
and with it construct their habitations. The Chinese collect these 
nests, and export them to the Indies, where they are sold at a high 
price. When cooked in chicken or mutton broth, they form a dish in 
great esteem among epicures." 
Until recently, all travellers agreed in asserting that the salangane 
thus procured from the sea the materials requisite for the construction 
of his nest. It was one of the popular old fables, hallowed by time and 
general acceptance, with which natural history abounded ; like the 
development of the bernacle geese from barnacles, and the pelican's 
feeding her young with her own blood. Take Ksempfer : the Chinese 
fishermen assured him that the nest was composed of the flesh of a 
gi'eat poulpe, which the salangane subjected to some mysterious process 
of preparation. Take Rumphius : he describes a tiny, soft, almost 
cartilaginous plant, semi-transparent, lissom and viscous, of a white 
and red colour, growing on the sea-shore, the rocks, and shell-fish ; 
and of this plant, he triumphantly asserts, the salangane takes ad- 
vantage to build his nest. Afterwards, however, a shadow of doubt 
creeps over his mind, and he admits the probability that the building 
material in use may really be one of the bird's secretionary products. 
27 
