BIRDLIME.
Kilut; gatap, . MALAY. I l'issini, TAM.
Ptits-chei-klei, . „ Banks, TEL.
The substances known in Europe under this name are the viscid juices of several trees. One is prepared in Europe from the middle bark of the holly, by boiling it seven or eight hours in water, then laid in heaps on the moist ground to ferment, with stones over it, to press it down till it passes into a mucilaginous state, then pounded, washed and kneaded till free from extraneous matter, and kept for four days in pots to ferment and purify itself, when it is fit for use. In Southern India it is obtained from the Palsy, the Isonandra acumi nata, The best is prepared from the outer cover ing of the fruit and tender twigs and bark of the jack tree, but several of the Artocarpi yield it. —Rohde; Tom.
The edible birds' nests of Southern and Eastern Asia are perhaps obtained from more than one species of swallow, but one of them seem. to be the Collocalia nidifica, C. breviro.tris, JPC'lellamil, of Java, and other islands.of the Eastern Archi pelago, the Amain hills, the Sikkim Himalaya. N'eilgherries, Wynad, Ceylon, the western coast of ' India, at Pigeon Island S. of Honore, the Vin gorla rocks, and at Sacrifice Rock, 20 miles 8. of Tellicherry. Dr. Jerdon says that the best nests are from the Collocalia linch i (C. f nciphaga), which builds in the Nicobar Islands, and along the taut coast of the Bay of Bengal from Arakan south wards to Java ; but several other species of Collocalia occur in tho islands of the Eastern Archipelago, as far as New Guinea, one in the Mauritius, and one in the islands of the Pacific. The nests are collected all over the Malay and Philippine Archipelagos, on the Malabar coast and the Tenasserini provinces, wherever there are caves to afford the birds shelter and protection. The caves are most frequent in the limestone formation, but Java and Borneo seem to be the birds' chief resort. The celebrated caves of Karang-bolong (hollow-rocks) are situated in the province of Baglen in Java, and on the shore of the southern sea. The entrance is at the sea level, and at the foot of limestone rocks several hundred feet in height. One place has 200 feet of perpendicular descent before coming to the first ledge. The mouths of the caves are about 18 feet broad and 30 high, while, within, they expand to breadths of from 60 to 114 feet, and to heights of from 420 to 480, the sea penetrating them to the extent of one-fourth of their length, and in rough weather rendering them inaccessible. The descent of the collectors to the caves is effected by narrow rattan ladders, usually about 74 feet in length, attached at top to a stout tree. Within the caves are bamboo scaffoldings erected in order to reach the nests, which are detached from the sides by the hand, and from the roof by hooks att.ched to long poles. There are three periods for making the collection, April, August, and December. The nest-gatherers aro bred to their dangerous calling, and before the commencement of the first gathering, plays are acted in masks, and there is feasting on the flesh of buffaloes and goats, to invoke the aid of the lady queen of the south' (Nai ratu kidul), an imaginary being, without whose tutelary aid tho work of robbing the nests would not, as they think, prosper. After the crop has been taken, the caves are closed against human ingress. The whole annual gathering, which is effected at little cost, amounts to from 50 to GO pikuls yearly, or, on an average, to 7370 lbs., worth at Batavia about .£18,000. On the N.W. side of Borneo, and not far from the banks of the river Baram, birds' nest caves are found 140 miles from the sea, by the course of the river. They consist of three chambers, one of which is reckoned to be no less than 200 fathoms in length. These are the propertv of the power
ful Kayan tribe, and, like those of Karang-bolong, are carefully guarded.
' The nests used by the Chinese are brought principally from Java and Sumatra. Nests aro composed of a mucilaginous substance, and it has supposed by some that the Gelidiuni corneum enters into their composition, but it is more probable that they are formed by mucus eliminated from the stomach of the swallow. Externally they resemble ill-concocted fibrous isinglass, and are of a white colour, inclining to red ; their thickness is little more than that of a silver spoon, and their weight from a quarter to half an ounce. When dry, they are brittle and wrinkled, little larger than a goose egg. Those that are dry, white and clean, are the most valu able. They are packed in bundles, with split rattans run through them to preserve their shape. If procured before the eggs are laid, the nests are of the best kind ; if they contain eggs only, they are still valuable ; but if the young are in the nests or have left them, they are nearly worthless, being dark-coloured, streaked with blood, and intermixed with feathers and dirt. The best are found in deep, damp caves, which, if not injured, will continue to produce indefi nitely. Some of the most profitable caves are 50 miles in the interior. Everywhere the method of procuring these nests somewhat resembles that of catching birds in the Orkney Isles. After they are obtained, they are separated from feathers and dirt, are carefully dried and packed, and are then ready for the consumer. The Chinese are the only purchasers, and carry them in junks to the Chinese market, where they command extravagant prices ; the best, or white kind, often being worth 1800 dole. per pikul of 133i lbs. avoir., which is nearly twice their weight in silver. The middling kind is worth from 1200 to 1800 dollars, and the worst, or those pro cured after fledging, 150 or 200 dollars per pikul ; according to these three qualities, the duty is levied. 8i millions of nests are annually im ported into Canton. Latterly nests of first quality fetch £5 to £6 the pound ; those of the second quality, 9s. 4id. ; and the third sort, only 3s. ld. The most part of the best kind is sent to Pekin for the use of the court. The Japanese do not use them. The Chinese consider the birds' nests as a great stimulant and tonic, but other gela tinous food would be equally serviceable. To render it fit for the table, every feather, stick, or impurity of any kind is carefully removed ; and then, after undergoing many washings and pre parations, it is stewed into a soft, mucilaginous jelly. Tho sale of birds' nests is a monopoly with all the governments in whose dominions they are found. Crawfurd estimated that about 243,000 pounds, at value of 1,263,570 dollars, are annu ally sent away from the Archipelago, mostly to China. Java alone sent about 27,000 pounds, mostly of the first quality, estimated at 60,000 dollars.
A few birds' nests of the esculent swallow are to be got from a rocky island about 20 miles south of Tellicherry, named Sacrifice Rock. The only preparation the birds' nests undergo is that of simple drying, without direct exposure to the sun, after which they are packed in small boxes. The edible-nest swallows are numerous in the lime stone caves on the islets and islands on the Tavoy coast ; and the government revenue from the bird nest farm in 1847 was nearly Rs. 11,000 ; but in 1849 it fell to less than Rs. 7000. At Mergui they are not so numerous. The Japanese powder the agar-agar seaweed, boil it to a jelly, and make artificial nests, called Dschin-schan, which they export to China.—Crawfurci's Dic. pp. 54, 55 ; Morrison; Jerdon.