The Republican journal., 1912-05-09
THE BIRDS THAT BUILD EDIBLE
NESTS.

The ''birds' nests islands" lie off the
eastern coast of the Siamese- Malayar
provinces, and are the homes of millions
of sea-swa.lows, who build the curious
gelatinous nests that are esteemed as a
delicacy throughout China. The islands
are jealousy guarded. and very few
strangers are allowed to land there, but
DR.. Braddock, special commissioner for
the Wide World Magazine, visited them
recently with the Siamese Minister of
the Interior.
1t is on the Lodges and in the ciefts and
crannies of these crevasses that the
birds build, he says. The material that
they use for making the nests is still a
matter of dispute among naturalists. A
number of explanatory theories have
been offered, however, the most feasible
OF which is that the stuff is the partially
digested, gelatinous portion of certain
seaWeeds, prepared for building purposes
In the stomachs of the birds and elected
as needed. l am inclined to endorse this
theory on the score of an examination of
many OF the dlsused nests, and the con-
versatlons on the subject that had with
Jokun Chaiya.
The Slamese, however, with whom
poetry is portion of their temperament,
aver that the substance is one that floats
IN the ether, invisible to the human eve,
but seen by the keen vision of the sWal-
lows. Or, again, that it is seafoam
caught and partially soidifed by the
birds IN manner known to them only.
In proof of which they call your atten-
ton to the swallows skimming over the
crests OF small white caps'' that the
gentle monsoon brings into being around
the island.
During the building it sometimes
happens that the mother-bird gets en-
tangled in the glutinous mass with which
she is working. In her frantic efforts to
tree her feet or her wing, she besmears
herself with the sticky jelly, gets ex-
hausted, and finally gives up the struggle
and dies miserably. The bodies of MANY
OF these poor little victims of the nest
ing instinct are found by the gatherers.
The birds build three times. The first
made nests are of a yellowish white,
clear and usually well-shaped. These
are known as ''first chop" and will fetch
from twenty-eight to ffty-six shillings
per pound at Bangkok.
When the gatherers have robbed the
swallow OF his nest, it goes to work and
rebullds. The second nest is darker in
hue and not nearly so well finished as
was the initial effort. However, its
material is all gelatine, and hence is
edible. This "second chop" will sell at
twelve to twenty shillings per pound.
The despoiled bird makes a third at
tempt to build home, and then it is that
there occurs curious phase of the mat
ter. The first and second chop nests are
built entirely by the female bird. On
the third attempt, however, she seems
to insist on her mate taking part in the
architectural labors. This final nest,
which is not disturbed by the gatherer,
is an indifferent piece of work, so te
speak. Some gelatine is used in its
making, but for the most part it con.
sists of twigs, bits of moss and sea.
weeds, feathers, and so forth. And the
pair-irritated, it is to be presumed, by
the loss of their preceding homes sd
not work in amity. On the contrary
they peck and flutter at each other con
tinuously until the nest is completed, ane
Madam Swallow retires within it fol
purposes of incubation.