The Columbus journal., 1905-07-05
-.N9J1a3a q
EDIBLE eiRpS' NESTS.
The WAY TNtt Avs' dSts;sred ~ ~
N. -, nIi 1nsaNaS d tan>xs~

The SsAti TNt$ Avs' GAGtk&red by siss
|t.iH eai 1OysNS - lIssthso., ,; q,
nt3Alb,~ rJiels Hests Ato 'cound IN thA
Picltfts'~f ~ cSS~sY I'M uAin4sroHd raveS
'%hb'l9tUrao II isHfNahsry' ~ l&rcat extent.
John, a~fdptIscgot, In " t4tfhvlt sf ~ bird
J AhsttNg ipxta4iHtt Man XaWi N lhsfnIW
|nxn Ssn,~Jfe ,Wt ispat &tth ,Rkbur'Ao1zth
il9ytRS, aaitnc1lNt ienstOA Asd hR6tieAAst
C1lotksA 4Mfw ~vFe1DbfMc4C ats thfit,i o. xs
euiadkJHrfid1 cntrahNst.tO, me cave hhS
psjsA7Ntf, nndptb seavuAtei, tSut + hAA
} ro,h<' ilrsV nuihfr&atycin sthttAKgl It.
t'kftur vi MD,efAvcfet f1 AtiliAhuis.
|tanAe,Avgi cANitIacKsas thdj fAetitatAs'
'satahN1 JvNp tftdHrd:, Nv sarbla
kttMn AsxtsRtne~ratWHAEK sfN'j1aNT bf
J tli@,SWaAiA,nA 4 aankSAglGiAHO irr@y6i,jr
nv "ASrS' Mkiseeanh qpVr'wait! byieHttq,fS
aaat&e,rAttsSArnl,txN saAhtSlsi7xt,Mkt
swtreMnsdtooA 7MHAlkcnt1,he hAikiad Ia
o vssltAHic" sy%i Ura ~ 'fA,tMNADA boEhhi II
'nWuA tH Inftry'VAniy'lSA;sirb narrow
In dldaihnSlhtAMepf uuk, AIlrcd OF ever
nfcttlnH atAtSuyA ihDoWhcn / fairly rot
'adNdcdki''imt W kxrbrcach | could force
oiiy aHslhSN6tr upward no downward
bsseor aAArwns the direction Of the pas.
1snAc"Nhd there I was, suspended like
Nl~rilainincd's coffin or Il trussrd fowl
By dint Of wriggling, however, I ut
last found myself on the top Of the
passage. minus Il certain amount OF
skin and III buttons from my tiglt
fitting khaki coat.
"Still ON We logged for the best part
of n mile. when. 10 AMI behold. the
caves In which tho birds were brcciin,
and which were To b. the limits Of our
underground wandcrings! A faint gliiu
NOR of light could he seen through Il
rift In he rocks fur above us, and IL
was through this small ritt. which was
a scnlrd pnssngc even To tho DyukS
themselves. that the birds PASSED IN
their journeys to and from their nest.
Ing grounds. Our arrival. Of course,
disturbed whatever birds were there,
and they disappeared as best they
could. And there. for II time, W. watch.
"d III" Dynks going through their gym.
naSticS Of robbing the birds nests,
with their ropes anil lons poles crccp.
Ing a!on. the high ridges and lodges III
the lurid light Of the torches Ike I'm.
earthly spcctcrs.
III" peculiar nests are built by n
species Of swallow. The nests consist
or slinllow. cup shaped cavities, trun.
Gated ut one side, where they nrc ut.
tncliel ~ the rocks like brackets 10 o
wall. aud forming something like Il
two.tliirlS segment Of II circle. II f.
not always easy to got ut them, rs
they AZ" sometime, glued to the pcr.
vcndicular sides of the solid rocks high
overhead. so that the u It hunters have
to seal" these clngi with ropes ami
poles to get ut them. IN substance
they consist OF an elastic. s"rlitrans.
parent, m%ucilaginous material. which "
said to be u secretion. or mnccrutcl
food. from the crops of the birds them
selves.
AS rObblng these nests for CONNER
ciai purposes forms II part Of the Dy.
axis Of livelihood. the birds
have frequently to build twice or even
three times during the season before
they are able IL hatch their offspring,
nnd It Is noted that each successive
crop Of nests dctcriOratcs III both con.
structiOn and composition. The ncstS
built ut the beginning Of the season
are bright and transparent and are
consequently known on the market az
white nests but when they gre rob.
bed the next crop Is not nearly SO
pure In substance"
W0rship~d At . Distance.