Place».
28-»
ESCULENT
SW.
D e s c r i p t io n .
with oblong brown fpots, which are moft frequent on the neck
and bread: bill and legs- as- in the other.
From the fize, colour of legs, and general appearance, it is moft'
likely to prove a variety of the former. Both are found at
Guiana, where they frequent the moift favannas, Ikimming the fur-
face of the earth in fearch of prey, as other Swallows 5. and are-
often feen perched on the low branches of trees which are defti-
tute of leaves..
Hirundo efculenta, Lin. Syfi. i. p. 343. z.~~Ojb. Toy» vol. ii. p. ||p f
L’Hirondelle de 'Rivage de la. Cochinchine, JBrrn orn, ii, p. 510. N° 14..
pl. 46. f. 2. A.
La Salangane, Buf. oif. vi. p. 682.
Hirundo linenfis Nido eduli Bontii, Rail' Syti. p. 72. N° 6»
Chinefe Swallow», whofe neil is edible, WilL.orn^ p. 215^
T H I S is faid to be lefs than the Wren, and only two inches^
and a quarter in length.. The bill black : ir-ides yellow: the:
upper parts of the body brown ; the under whitilh : the tail,
forked, and each feather of it tipped with white : the legs brown.
We are indebted to the pencil of M-Poivre for the drawing of
the bird, from which the above defcription was taken by Brijfon-,
and whofe figure he- has copied in the Ornithology. Notwith-
ftanding. which, we are dubious,, that however accurate the figure-
may be, the fize is defcribed by much too fmall, as Mr..Marjden *
fays that the bird “ appears to be the Common M a r t in and we
are much inclined to. think that it is at leaft of that fize,.from the-
eggs which accompany the neft now in. the Britijh Mufeum,
* Sec Hi Hcr y t f Sumatra, p. 141.
which.
However, we cannot difpute the point.
The moft curious part of the natural hiftory belonging to this
bird confifts in the neft, which is compofed of fuch materials as
not only to be edible, but accounted as one of the greateft dainties
of the Afiatic epicures. It weighs about half an ounce ; and
is in lhape like half a lemon, or, as fome compare it, to that of a
faucer, with one fide flatted, where it adheres to the rock. The
texture of it is fomewhat like ifmglafs, or rather more like fine
gum dragon-, and the feveral layers of the matter it is compofed
of, very apparent j being fabricated from repeated parcels of a
foft (limy fubftance, in the fame manner as the Martins form
theirs of mud. Authors differ much as to the materials of
which it is compofed : fome fuppofe it to confift offea-worms of
the Mollufca clafs *; others of the Sea-qualm (a kind of Cuttle-fijh)
or a glutinous fea-plant called Agal Agal\. It has alfo been
fuppofed that they rob other birds of their eggs, and, after breaking
the (hells, apply the white of them for that purpofe. The
ufe that is made of the neft is twofold : the belt fort, which are
clear and perfectly free from dirt, are dilfolved'in broths, in order
to thicken them; and are faid to give them an exquifite flavour
J. Of the black and dirty ones they make glue ||.
* OJbeck, 4 F-orreJi. Voy. p. 28,
W „ l ? ieTyh” adr fe °f f° “PS and rag°"tS mad£ H P N i and mixed with
A T ar? t0 bC f°aked Water- t0 5 ‘hen pulled to pieces •
■ n l ' t eil S L S mtl> gi”/!nS’ are pUt int0 the H I of a fowl. The whole
is then 0 be hewed a pot with a M j quantity o f water, and left on the
coals all night. The morning following it is fit to be eaten. _ H H
vol. 1. p. 278. 279. , . y
If Marfden. Sumatr. p. 141.
. 4 E 2 Thefe
Place
M a n n
AND
ERG»
Of,
■