The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-01-05
EoRNEo BATS AND SWALLOWS
Efyriads occupy Cave Together, But
Are Not Found Home Mt the
Same Time.


station of the British North Borneo
Trading company. The trip to the
caves is of interest to the sportsman,
for en- route you can get good shot
now and then at wild pig, the meat OF
which is exceedingly savory; then, too,
you stir up an occasional alligator and
have fine chance for display of
craftsmanship. Tracks of wild cattle
show still larger game is to be had,
while pigeons innumerable help the
| larder out ostsagreeably. The great
things to be avoided are the leeches,
those pests of the land that make a
hunters life anything but a happy one.
A trip through the heavy jungle, after
leaving our boat at the rivers bank,
brought us at the end of brisk walk
to Semud Hitam, the lower cave, the
principal tenants of which are swallows
and bats, living in style very much
like the little man and the little woman
who form the weather sign-when the
woman is in, the man is out, and vice
versa. In the case in point the swallows
occupy the cave at night and the bats
by day. Rentisccl.e cted from the swal-
lows in the shape of edible birds nests,
while the bats are prepared to pay up
arrears in guano.
/ The esculent nests of these swallows
/ consist of marine fucus-a species of
seaweed, in other words-elaborated by
the bird. The Japanese are said to
have discovered a means of preparing
the seaweed by hand 80 as to exactly
initiate the consistency of the nest.
The nests are found throughout the is
lands in this. section of the archipelago
and are often sold in the markets. They
make an excellent soup without any
very decided taste beyond that of gela-
tine. The birds weave them with
much patience and ingenuity in spite Of
the continuous depredations made
upon them.
The exit of the immense swarms of
bats every evening from the Semud
Hitam is decidedly a unique sight.
Looking from the entrance to the place
in which some of the nest collectors
live, we had fine chance to see this
migration and were amply repaid for
whatever hard work we had been
InTOuEns we FIcMCO Tic CAtIoDSC ~
the cave over yawning gulf some 100
yards across and of shape closely re-
sembling that of horseshoe, in which
space the bats go through theirwonder-
full accommodations About half hour
or 80 before sunset the first column of
bats appeared, and after whirling
around from left to right, in dense
cheese-shaped mass, the head of the
column wheeled to the right almost
over our heads, and went down the val
/ ley followed by the rank and file in
long coil winding over the treetops in
wonderfully close and regular order.
Four or five hawks appeared and
dashed voraciously into the thick of the
bats. In half minute the second coli
umn issued, and, after preliminary
revolution, followed the first, disappear
ing in the distance like wreath OF
smoke. In 40 minutes by the watch, Al
distinct columns were counted, each
about 600 feet long by ten feet thick. A
rough estimate of 10000 bats to each
column would give total of not far
| from half million bats, not one OF
4 which went away without prelimi-
nary gyration to stretch the wings
/ The two last lots were somewhat small
err than the others, and were, perhaps,
fatigue parties left behind to put things
away so that they would not be swal-
lowed. Snakes of yellowish hue APP
peared with the first of the bats, but as
far as we could see did not have any
| luck in catching bat.
The swallows appeared close upon
the departure of the last winged bat
TALON. and all night long there was
ceaseless whirr of wings. The attend
ants, by waving sticks, knocked down
two swallows, whose diet had evidently
been ants of the winged species. Next
morning, shortly after dawn, the half
million bats returned and literally
rained into the horseshoe space in open
ORDER with at the same time a cross
fire of swallows issuing from the cave.
| The men who collect the nests are
short, thick-set race, and have probably
inherited their vocation. They lie on
their backs on rattan ladders some 100
| feet, more or less, overhead, calmly
smoking cigarettes, while detaching
| sAC ASSU WIN AoAiS POASS, uho pNtStiS
dropping them into the baskets sus-
pended under the ladders. A couple of
rattans dangling from the ladders af-
ford means of swinging to more dis
tant places, where they hold on in some
mysterious manner while driving pegs
of wood in some hole or Granny to Sc
cure the rattan to. Lives are often lost,
but on this subject we couldn't get the
collectors to say much.--N. Y. Times.
II am indebted to One Minute Cough
Cure for my health and lie 1t cure
me of lung trouble following grippe
| Thousands owe their lives 10 the nro,nIt