The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1906-11-10
EDIBLE NESTS IN soRNEo.
Writer Tells Of Experience In Robhing
Feathered Creatures of
Their Homes.

Edible birds nests are found In
the clefts of rocks or in under
ground caves which are frequent.
~ of great extent. John Mae
Gregor. In writing of u bird.nest.
ing experience he had in BOrneo.
SAYS: "On we went with about a
dozen Dyaks. as the little bronze
abOrigines of this part of Borneo
are called. for guides. The en-
trance to the cave was so small
and so elevated that | had some
difficulty in reaching il. After
We had travelled for some little
distance we came across the in
evitable stream. The ground,
which was to u great extent com
posed Of the bed of the stream,
was rough and irregular. We
were lighted on our way by torch
Is carried 10y our Dyak guides.
At last We came to passage that
seemed a veritable eye uf needle,
SO hard il was to enter, for IL
looked so narrow and confined
that ! drspaired of ever getting
through IL. When ! fairly got
squeezed into the breach | could
force myself neither upward nor
downward--for that was the III
rcrtiou uf the passage-and there
| was. suspended like Moham
mpi : cofiin or u trusspd fowl. BY
dint of wriggling. however. | at
last found myself at the top of the
passage. minus a certain amount
uf skin and some buttons from my
tigh, iitting khaki roat.
"Still on We logged for the best
part of u mile. when. lo and be-.
hold. the caves in which the birds
were breeding. and which were to
be- the limits of our underground
wanderings 4 faint glimmer NJ
light could b. seen through u rift
In the rocks far above Ms. and II
was through this small rift. which
was sealed passage even tn the
Dyaks themselves. that the birds
passed In their journeys to and
from their nesting grounds. our
arrival, Of course. disturbed what
ever birds were there. and they
disappeared as best they could.
And there, for n time. We watched
the byuks going through their
gymnastics Of robbing the birds
nests. with their ropes and long
poles creeping along the high
ridges and lodges. In the lurid
light ~ the torches. like uncarth.
ly sIccters.
These peculiar nests are built
10y q species Of swallow. The
nests consist Of shallow. cup.
shaped cavities. truncated nj one
side. where they are attached to
the rocks like brackets To wall
and forming something like
iwo.thirds segment of a circle. Ii
Is not always easy 10 get az them.
~ they are sometimes glued to
The perpendicular sides of the solid
rocks high overhead. so that the
hest hunters have to scale these
racks with ropes and poles Co get
II them. In substance they con.
'ist of an elastic. scmitransparent
nucilaginous material. which il
'aid to be- n secretion, or macerat.
ID food. from the crops OF the birds
themselves.
"As robbing these nests for
purposes forms a part
" the byaks' means Of livelihood.
he birds have frequently to build |
vice or even three times during
he season before they are able Ia
iatch their offspring, and IL Is
lotrd that each successive crop Of |
tests dcterioratcs in both con.
.truction and composition. The |
lrsts built ut the beginning of the |
season are bright aud transpar.
mt, and are consequently known |
,u the market as white nests. |
iut when they are robbed the |
taxr cram Al. uuf u.urItr 40. ,..,,.. L.. j