with bellies of a dirty whftri: They were flying about
in considerable numbers j font they "were sb smalb and
their flight-am quick,, that ’ they ’«ssstped the
them, The same nests, aid said ate* to^he found ini deep
caverns, at the foot of the highest HS!w' jgg ^ Q • mountains imth$«roiddlo
of Java, and at a dfstameofrom theses, from which the
birds, it is thought, derive mo* materials, either § » thrift
hied, tbeeoastroctiori of their nests 51 as ifedues not a^pseaS
probable they should fly, in search of either, nve? the
intermediate muuntrinsi whieh are wriy high* «»against
the boisterous winds prevailing thereabouts. The)? feed
on insects, which they find hovering nvei,stagnated^nte
between the mountains, and fb? cafehing^whieh, thrift
mde-opening- beakr are partieolAriy adaptedl^Thni?
prepare their ndsfcs from the best remJtants ©h thrift feodv.
Their 'greatest enemy is the kite, who often intercepts
them in their passage to-and from the caserns, wfeich
are generally surrounded with rocks of grey limd$tone,
or white marble.. The nests are placed in horirontal
rows at different depths, from fifty to five hundred feet,
The colour and value of the nests depend on the quantity
and quality of the insects caught) sad* perhaps;, also
on the situation where they are. built. Their value is
chiefly determined by the uniform fineness and.delfe
cacy of their texture; those that are white and traiispa;?
rent being most esteemed, and fetching often in China
their weight in silver. These nests, are a considerable
obfepfeofiferaffio among the>Javan.es©; and many are ear
.plspedtdn it fibopi^thdir, The* birds having
spent ne^fi two months, in pr.eparirig?their nests, layeach
two * eggs, whfehfclaro hatched in ■ fifteen duy®.
When, the ywngdbirds; be Gome fledged, k -is/ thought
time tn'srise: upo© the®«nests,'which i«.,ddts&,regusb®ly
thrifle^f a wesB*'mid1 is effiéetedsby ineans of ladders of
hamboo ao^ re^Si by» which ,the. peopfri^d^t^di 'into
ï'ibut-when ft isHrtwy • deep,. rop© ladders: mé
(preferred-: This operation $1 arcaded-with much, dam-
get'; and several break their i^dks in. the attempts The
inhabitant oTthes; mountains; genemHyfempfeyed« in. ft,
begfts ialwaysj'hiyr-’Saèrificftig n_ bjiffafov which cu^otsa
ft constandy ©feservedhy gdi®, Javanese, om the .eve «£
Civefty restmoBdinmry Cnteipeizej h?3Tifey also pronounce
spmef^rapers,'an®j»t themsèlvte. wfth sfifte^stkihed off,
and sm^ke tho entrancc of the cavejm,asdth gujm benjamin.
Near so®to of >thoseBiaveriiis a tutelar goddess» is
worshipped,, whos© pfciest burns tnêense, rand; lays! his
protfttii^hahdsiW #YMy ;perioav preparing te descend
into the .cavern. A flambeau is orefufly prepared at the
samOiitifeOj with a;gum' whida e»dek from flteeesvgrow-
ftig- ftf &®d is mot >easify extiu^aashed by
fiXedatt 0® subterraneous: vapfiuftsi,' Tfte; swallow,, which
bjuild.8 those nêst% isrdes®.rih.edi as not having its tap feathers
marked with-white spots, which its ^rtóhaxacteE attributed
to il fiyTinnseus; and it; is posable fehaftvdfere
S tra in of Sjttrad!£t.