334 
Birds of Celebes: Cypselidae. 
106. COLLOCALIA ESOULENTA (L.). 
White-bellied Swiftlet. 
a. Hirundo esculenta (I) Linn., S. N. 1766, XIT, 1143. 
Colloealia esculenta (1) Wald., Tr. Z. S. 1872, \J_LL, 46; (2) Meyer, Ibis 1879, 65; (3) 
Salvad., Orn. Pap. 1880, I, 540; (4) Guillem., P. Z. S. 1885, 549; (5) Hickson, 
Hat. in N. Celebes 1889, 49, 91; (6) Salvad., Ora. Pap. Agg. 1889, 63; (7) Hartert, 
Cat. B. XYI, 1892, 509; (8) Tristr., Ibis 1892, 296; (9j Biittik. , Notes Leyden Mus. 
1892, 194; (10) M. & Wg., Abb. Mus. Dresden 1895, Nr. 8, p. 8; (11) iid., ib. 1896, 
Nr. 2, p. 14; (12) Salvad., Ann. Mus. Civ. Gon. 1896, XXXVI, 73; (13) Hartert, 
Nov. Zool. 1896, 158, 175, 243, 570; (14) id., Tierreicb 1897, I, 70. 
b. Colloealia hypoleuca (1) Gray, P. Z. S. 1858, 170, 189; (II) id.. Cruise “Curacoa”, B. 
1873, 356, pi. H, fig. 1; (3) Eosenb., Malay. Arebip. 1878, 271; (4) SalvaL, Atti 
Ac. Sc. Tor. 1 880, 346. 
c. Colloealia viridinitens (1) Gray. Ann. and Mag. N. H. 1866, XVH, 120. 
d. Colloealia sp, (1) Biittik., Notes Lcyd. Mus. 1891, 210. 
“Tetekek”, Peling, “Tepede”, Banggai (Nat. Coll.). 
For further synonymy and references see Salvad. 3, 6, Hartert 7. 
Adult. Above glossy dark bluisb green, tail and outer webs of quills bluer, inner webs 
of latter dusky, rectrices, except the two middle ones, with a large patch of wliite 
on basal half of the iimer webs; bases of loral plumes white; chin and sides of 
face dark mouse-grey; throat, breast and sides mouse-grey with white margins, 
these margins increasing in width on the lower parts, so that the abdomen is pm’e 
white; under tail-coverts — the longest uniform blue-black, the shorter ones blackish 
green, broadly bordered with white, the shortest uniform white; under wing-coverts 
blackish, fringed with white (Minahassa — Nr. 821). Bill and feet dark brown 
(Platen, Mus. Nehrkorn). 
Sexes. Alike. 
Young. Not so glossy above, but otherwise similar to the adult (Hartert 7). 
Measurements. 
Wing 
Tail 
Bill from 
gape 
Tarsus 
a. (Nr. 821) ad. Minahassa (Eaber) 
94 
44 
8.5 
h. (Nr. 820) ad. Minahassa (Faber) 
85 
35 
8 
c. (Sarasin Coll) ad. Tomohon, 12. X. 94 ... . 
97 
40 
7.5 
A series of 17 from Peling and Banggai were very small: wing 69 — 90 mm, 
average 80. 
Eggs. Amboina. Elliptic and white, like the eggs of all Cypselidae and Troehilidae. Size 
17.5x11 mm. They are similar to a series of Humming-birds eggs, the shells of 
which, however, are somewhat more delicate (Nehrkorn MS.). Always 2 in a clutch 
(Hartert). 
Nest. A nest in the Sarasin Collection “is built entirely of hchens and was stuck fast on 
a rock with saliva. In form it resembles perfectly the ordinary edible nests. Of 
these we saw many, as we were returning along the coast from Malibagu back to 
Kema. As is known the harvesting of these nests is a monopoly of the king of 
Bolang Mongondo’’ (P. & E. Sarasin in lit.). By hH. Everett “on November 
a colony was found breeding in a cave near Indrulaman. The nests were not edible, 
but consisted of moss, rootlets, and httle twigs, agglutinated and fixed to the walls 
of the cave with sahva" (Hartert 13). 
