BIRDS NESTS KARANG BOLLONG- 
107 
Other—that they may steady themselves by holding the upper when 
walking along the under. The entrance of the caves is about 18 
feet broad, more or less, and 30 high. The interior is from 60 
to 114 feet broad and from 420 to 480 high. The bottom of 
most of the caves is washed for about one quarter of its length 
by sca-wadfc*, three, four or more feet in depth. The whole of the 
interior appears to consist of limestone, fn the caves arc stages 
made of bambus which are hound fast with ropes to the walls of 
the rocks on which the collectors stand. It often happens, in con¬ 
sequence, that the dills on which the ropes of the stage are fast¬ 
ened become loosened and the whole stage is precipitated, which 
sometimes occasions a loss of life. Most of the nests are taken 
from the wall by the hand, and those which are on the roof, 
by an iron hook fastened to a long barabu. 
The swallow named lawet, has a compressed head, which, 
however, with its thick and rounded feathers appears large in com¬ 
parison with the body. The beak is broad and wide with a black 
awl-shaped small point bent downwards. The eyes are black and 
torerably large, and the tongue arrow-shaped. The throat is very 
short as well as the bones of the wings and feet. The feet consist of 
four toes of which three are in front and one behind. All the toes 
have black, curved, sharp, and tolerably long claws, so that the 
bird can every where lay fast hold of the rocks and cliffs. The 
tail is almost as long as the whole body. AVhcn the throat, the * 
wings and the head arc spread out, the bird has a circular appear¬ 
ance. The colour is greyish black inclining a little to green. 
On the back near the tail to the belly the blackish passes into 
inousecolour. The breast is bluish. 
Besides these, some wild species called linlye inhabit some 
holes. These are somewhat smaller, and have a white breast. In 
other respects they agree- completely with the lavjet . The nests 
which they make are constructed of grass stalks. They are, how¬ 
ever, of the same form, and are as artfully made as the others, 
but are without the least value. The residence of these swal¬ 
lows lintye in the caves, contributes greatly to the injury of the 
holes, for which reason they Ire destroyed as much as possible 
at each gathering. 
On the w alls of the rocks, the birds build their nests in horizontal 
r 
