BIRDLIME

exudes spontaneously from plants, and is obtained artificially from the bark of the holly. Its colour is greenish, its sour, and it is gluey, shining, and tenacious. natiiral is more adhesive than the artificial birdlime. See BlED-CATCHING. BIRD OF PARADISE. See Pabadisb op). BIRDS. See Ornithology. BIRD'S-EYE VIEW. See Perspective. BIRDS' NEST. The Eirundo esevlenta, or ^ane, a species of swallow, the nests of which used as an article of Ixixury among the Chinese, found in the Indian seas. They are particularly abundant in Sumatra, especially about Croe, near s. end of the island. The nest has the shape common swallow's nest, is about the size of a egg, is found in caves, particularly on the sea-shore, and has the appearance of fibrous, imperfectly cocted isingla . More or le of this substance contained in the nests of all swallows of that The manner in which this substance is procured long doubtful, but it seems now to be generally mitted that it is a marine plant gathered birds, and brought from considerable distances. Chinese collect the nests, and sell them to all of the world. Di olved in broths, ., Uiey make delicious jelly. The finest are those obtained the nest has been contaminated by the young they are pure white, and are scarce and valuable. The inferior ones are dark, streaked with blood, mixed with feathers: they are chiefly converted glue. Some of the caverns in which they are are difficult of acce and dangerous to climb, that none can collect the nests but persons tomed to the trade from their youth. The following account of the traffic in these nest? we extract from Mr. Crawfurd's excellent on the Eastern Archipelago. ' The best nests are those obtained in deep, caves, and such as are taken before the birds laid their eggs. The coarsest are those obtained after the young have been fledged. The finest are the whitest, that is, those taken before the has been rendered impure by the food and fceces the young birds. They are taken twice a year, if regidarly collected, and no unusual injury offered to the caverns, will produce very equally, quantity being very little, if at all, improved caves being left altogether unmolested for a year two. Some of the caverns are extremely difficult acce , and the nests can only be collected by persons accustomed from their youth to the office. most remarkable and productive caves in Java, which I superintended a moiety of the collection several years, are those of Karang-bolang, in Uie pro* upon vince of Baglen, on the s. coast of the island. Here prey the caves are only to be approached by a perpenbe an dicular descent of many hundred feet by ladders of dart bamboo and rattan over a sea rolling violently against under the rocks. When the mouth of the cavern is attaineti, death, the perilous office of taking the nests must often be and performed with torchlight, by penetrating into reescape ce es of the rock, where the slightest trip would be are instantly fatal to the adventurers, who see nothing below them but the turbulent surf making its way acinto the chasms of tiie rock. the; * The only preparation which the birds' nests undergo any is that of simple drying, without direct exposure U> round the Sim, after which they are packed in small boxe , usually of half a picuL They are a orted for tbe the Chinese market into three kinds, aooording to ^eir the qualities, distinguished into firsts or leHj sectmd, and mird qualities. Caverns that are regularly jiiaiia^e<i will afford in one hundred parts fifty-three three certain tenth parts of those of the first quality, thirty -fi\e middle parts of those of the second, and eleven seven-tenth flavour parts of those of the third. The * The common prices for birds' nests at Canton are for the first sort no le than 8500 Spanish dollars the picul. Or £5, I89. l^c^. per pound; for the seo on^i (Bird 2800 Spanish dollars per picul; and for the thin i 1600 Spanish dollars. From these prices it is snfliciently evident that the birds' nests are no more than an article of expensive luxuiy. They are consumed only by the great; and indeed the best part is sent salanare to the capitsd for the consumption of the court The is sensual Chinese use them under the imagination that they are powerfully stimulating and tonic; but it ha the probable that their most valuable quality is their of a being perfectly hannle . The people of Jji^Mai, who so much resemble the Chinese in many of their goose's habits, have no taste for the edible nests; and how the latter acquired a taste for this foreign comnoodity con is is no le singular than their persevering in it region. Among the western nations there is nothing panJlt-l was to it, unle we except the whimsical estimation in which the Romans held some articles of luxnrr, adby the remarkable for their scarcity rather thaa for any The qualities ascribed to them.* parts Mr. Crawfurd estimated the whole quantity of a birds' nests exported from the Archipelago at 242,4f»<J) before lbs., worth £284,290. A more recent estimate makt.'M birds; the quantity exported only 125,000 lbs. The be»t sort are said to cost from 2500 to 3800 dollars per or picul of 133 lbs., or nearly twice as much as their into weight in silver; those of the second quality are worth built from 1200 to 1600 dollars per picul; the third sort so are worth only from 120 to 200 dollars per ptcuL acc us- A large quantity of the best sort is annually senL to Peldn for the use of the imperial court.