Pay (54 INDUCISR. OF BRIE HORT BORNEO ll 36D wi LIBRARY B029359 De oe yt ET MAY 157 REPORT THE “BIRDS’ NEST” CAVES — INDUSTRY OF BRITISH NORTH BORNEO — By F. N. Cnasen Curator of the Raffles Musewmn, Singapore. JESSELTON, Printed at. the Government Printing Office, North Rorneo. 1931, , The DR. CARL ALEXANDER GIBSON-HILL COLLECTION (born 1911: died 1963) Presented to the NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SINGAPORE by MRS. LOKE YEW in fulfilment of the intention of her son LOKE WAN THO (born 1915: died 1964) WIE. CONTENTS. Preface - Introduction Local importance of the industry as shown by statistics - Existing fallacies Systematic The nest itself Historical The North Borneo Caves The Gomantong Caves Communications The Forest Reserve - The Yearly Cycle Food of the Swiftlets Infant Mortality Other inhabitants of the caves: Enemies Guano and Eggs Methods of collecting the nests Marketing Trade Local Ordinances Summary : NALIONAL LIBRARY, * Page. co cf ss -§ & NATIONAL LIBRARY! SINGAPORE, 461310 MRS4E-349 CHA I. PREFACH. This report is the result of a visit to British North Borneo in July 1929 undertaken with the permission of the Government of the Straits Settlements at the request of the late Mr. J. L. Humphreys, ¢.M.G., ¢.B.E., then Governor of the Chartered Company’s territory. The Gomantong Caves were visited and the official records of matters relating to the caves and the associated industry were examined. I must express my gratitude to the officials of the Chartered Company: the least of many kindness shown to me during my stay in Borneo was the manner in which the accumulated experience of many years was placed at my disposal. In particular I must mention the Hon. Mr. J. Maxwell Hall, the Resident of Sandakan and Mr. W. J. Phillips, Assistant District Officer, in whose administrative area the caves are situated. Unfortunately the Conservator of Forests was not in Sandakan at the time of my visit. The following pages contain much that is admittedly only of academic in- terest but this apparently extraneous matter has been purposely introduced in an attempt to invest the subject with a certain amount of interest calculated to appeal to officers administering the caves in future. The purely practical portions con- taining the recommendations I have ventured to make are introduced in their appropriate place but for convenience the more important of these are summarized in a final section of the report. It will be noticed that there are statements in the following pages based solely on native testimony. At this early stage of a serious study of the Goman- tong caves no other source of information is available. It is almost unnecessary to point out that knowledge so acquired can never be regarded as absolutely authentic. F. N. CHASEN. Singapore, Ist March, 1930. bo Ii. INTRODUCTION. In the architecture of the nests of many birds a secretion of the salivary glands plays a part but it remains for some members of the family Mvcropidae, or Swifts, to make their nests largely or wholly of inspissated saliva which hardening into a substance not unlike isinglass on its exposure to the air forms the “ edible birds’ nests” of commerce. These nests are in great demand by epicures, chiefly Chinese, by whom they are supposed to be aphrodisiacal. It is a fortuitous but fortunate circumstance for North Borneo that the birds providing the nests elect to nest in large colonies in that country. Technically, the nests in the caves of North Borneo are produced by four species of swiftlet (a name of no real significance but merely a popular diminutive of swift"). These are all of the genus Collocalia, a division of the Chaeturinae which is a subfamily of the Micropidae containing in addition to the “Swiftlets” the well known spine-tailed swifts, one of which is supposed to be the fastest bird in the world. The nests are collected by natives at regular intervals and eventually exported from the country, mainly to China. The Government profits by the export tax paid on the nest and by the reception of a variable royalty. The industry appears to be permanent and it is lucrative to all parties. ° On no account must “swallow” be substituted for swift or swiftlet. 3 Ill. LOCAL IMPORTANCE OF THE INDUSTRY AS SHOWN BY STATISTICS. It is.unnecessary to emphasize the great local importance of the birds’ nest industry but, although the value of an industry cannot be entirely estimated by a consideration of its purely monetary returns, the following figures kindly supplied by the Hon. Mr. M. M. Clark, the Commissioner for Guatoma and Trade, enable one to visualize its place in the commerce of the country and to appreciate that it is not only worthy of the serious consideration it receives on the part of the administration but also of a certain amount of additional fostering. The position of the North Bornean industry from the point of view of world trade is discussed in a later section of this report. During the last three years the Government royalties from birds’ nests have been as follows :— 1928 i 346,948.00 1926 xd $39,497.00 1927 a $38,587.00 These royalties are obtained in two ways :— (a) Certain caves are the property of the State and, excluding some minor adjustments, the Government draws 50 per cent of the total proceeds. (b) Other caves are recognised as private property (that is of individuals, communities or tribes ) and are subject to an annual royalty of 10 per cent of the nests collected. The Gomantong caves, the largest and most important in the country, are owned by the State and the Government share of the proceeds from them for the last four years as shown by figures in the Resident's Office, Sandakan, is :— 1929 ea $45,685.22 1927 ee $32,095.91 1928 = $43,546.86 1926 th $33,041.04 In addition to the royalties the Customs collected the following export duty :— 1928 .» * $12,849.00 1926 vs $10,825.00 1927 a $11,079.00 IV. EXISTING FALLACIES. It is hoped that this report will disperse many mistaken ideas, widespread in Borneo, concerning the swiftlets and their economy and thus stimulate an interest in their habits based on the right notions. Fallacious ideas are by no means confined to North Borneo, where even the well informed natives of Bilit consider that the exceptionally fine white nests found on Berhala Islet in Sandakan Bay are due to a very favourable environment. Many of the old ideas concerning the composition of the material of which the nests are made, the cause of the various kinds of nest, the correlation of the quality of the nests with the local food supply, the hypothetical migrations of the birds in the non-breeding season and even the specific identity of the birds have died very hard; and indeed are in some cases, not yet dead and have found their way into official reports one of which published in 1923 contained the following astonishing statement :— “The Swift collects the material—gelatinous wormlike organisms—from the surface of the sea. ”’ 4 VY. SYSTEMATIC, The geographical range of the genus Collocalia covers India and Ceylon, thence south to the Seychelles and Mauritius and east through Malaysia and the Philippines to the Islands of the Marianane, Marquesas, Society and Tonga groups and even to northern Australia. In widely scattered localities within this large range the nests of several species are worked for profit under conditions noted in greater detail below. Five species of the genus occur in Malaysia. Four of these are found in Borneo and examples of each species together with their nests were examined during the recent investigations. The fifth species is Collocalia gigas, the largest member of the genus. Very little is known about this rare bird: only a few specimens are known and these have been obtained in the highlands of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Java. It is reasonable to suppose that it also oceurs in Borneo but even if it is even- tually proved to exist there the species is never likely to be of economic importance. The four species with which the North Bornean industry is concerned are represented by the following forms :— Collocalia brevirostris lowt (Sharpe) Collocalia fuciphaga amelis Oberholser Collocalia francica mearnsi Oberholser Collocalia esculenta cyanoptila Oberholser 1. COLLOCALIA BREVIROSTRIS LOWI ( Sharpe). Hitherto known as C. lowi. It is now suggested that in all official documents, except those intended for publication in which the full technical designation should be printed, this bird should be known as “'THE Buack-NEsT SWIFTLET, ” This is the species responsible for the black nests throughout the country. Characters—A small dark bird, slightly glossy on the wings and tail. The upper parts are brownish black but the under parts are rather paler or brownish grey in colour. The feet (tarsi) are strongly feathered and wing pressed flat against a ruler measures from 124 to 137 mm. (see jig. 1). Birds from south- eastern Borneo are said to be rather smaller: they have been named tichelmani by Dr. Stresemann. 9, COLLOCALIA FUCIPHAGA AMELIS Oberh. Can conveniently be known as “ THe Common Wuite-NEsT SWIFTLET.” The white nests of the Gomantong caves are made by this species. Characters.—Very like the last species but smaller: the wing pressed flat against the ruler measures from 116-126 mm. a] ”) It is also rather paler on the under parts than Jowi and has the feet naked or very thinly feathered. | In Jowit the outside of the foot is furnished with a row or ruff of feathers and in some specimens the inside of the foot is also feathered (see figs. 2 and 3). The degree of feathering in amelis is a variable feature but it is never as in lowt. Some amelis were collected at Gomantong in 1929. One had two feathers on the outside of the foot; a second had one feather on the outside of one foot; a third had three feathers on the outside of one foot and in others there were a few feathers on both the inside and the outside of the foot. By some authorities the foot is said to be naked. 3. COLLOCALIA FRANCICA MEARNSI Oberh. One example of this species was brought to me from Berhala island in Sandakan Bay. The white-nests from Berhala are of exceptionally fine quality : it seems feasible that mearnsi is scattered round the coasts of North Borneo. Nothing has been recorded concerning the nidification of this species and it is curious that a nest, unknown to science, should have been an article of commerce in Borneo for many years. This species can most appropriately be known as “MEARNS WHITE-NEST SWIFTLET.”’ Very little is known about this bird. The single specimen from Berhala Island is not unlike the specimens of amelis from Gomantong but it is much darker (more blackened on the back ), and has the rump (7%. e. the part of the back just in front of the tail) distinctly paler than the back. The feet were naked but it is said that they are sometimes feathered, 4, COLLOCALIA ESCULENTA CYANOPTILA Oberh. This is the species usually, but erroneously, known as linchi. Popularly it may be known as “ THE WHITE-BELLIED SWIFTLET. ” In appearance it is quite unmistakable. In size it is much smaller than any of the species mentioned above: wing from 100-108mm. The upper parts are black washed with metallic green: the throat and breast are grey and the abdomen white. The white-bellied swiftlet is responsible for the mossy nests which are useless from the commercial point of view. Malays call the swifts “ Layang-layang” (a name also applied to swallows ) but the Sungei folk of the Kinabatangan River use the Sulu “Kalam Pisau”’. The nests are called “puteh”, “itam’’ and “lumut”’ with the Sulu “Salang”’ substituted by the Malay “Sarang”’ (nest). [In 1914 (Journal of the Straits Branch, Royal Asiatic Society) the late Dr. J. ©. Moulton proposed certain popular names for these swiftlets in his 6 “ Handlist of the birds of Borneo” but his names are not very apt and as there is no obligation to accept priority in such matters the names used above are suggested as substitutes in the hope that they will become familiar to residents and officials in North Borneo and perhaps stay in the minds of those who have little taste for “technical names”, If the valid technical names of the swiftlets are to be mentioned at all, the modern trinominal system of nomenclature cannot be avoided. Formerly when- ever a bird was found to be unlike all other known kinds of bird it was considered to be a “new species” and, upon. it, a new specific name was bestowed. It is now recognised that many of the old ‘ ‘species’ can be linked up and that they are only slightly altered geographical races of a widely spread “kind” of bird. Their original ‘specific’ names are therefore reduced to ‘ ‘subspecific” or racial names of the first name applied to any member of the species and thus the trinominal svstem of nomenclature came into existence, The system can be illustrated in detail by one of the swiftlets. The small kind with white abdomen, common in Borneo, is often referred to as C. linchi but this is quite wrong: /inchi is a name originally applied to a specimen from Java and birds from Java and Borneo are quite different. They are, in fact, both only geographical races of a widely spread species ranging from the Andamans and Nicobars throughout Malaysia and east to New Guinea, New Caledonia and the New Hebrides. No fewer than fifteen races or subspecies of this bird are recognised. The first name applied to any one of them is esculenta of Linné who. thus indicated the bird occurring in the Moluccas, All the races then become subspecies of esculenta and in Malaysia occur :— C. esculenta cyanoptila—Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo. C. e. dodget p> Kina Balu C. e. linchi sh Java. C. e. natalis ae Christmas Island. | It is undisputed that sound systematic work is an essential preliminary to any biological economic investigation. Sufficient has already been indicated above for most practical purposes but more birds must be examined from Berhala, other isolated colonies in the Sandakan Residency and a fairly extensive collection from the East Coast caves before it can — be considered that we have anything like a complete understanding of the identity of the birds themselves. These collections could be made by a subordinate officer of the Forestry Department after a few weeks tuition in field-collecting and taxidermy. ‘Such tuition could probably be obtained with the assistance of the Director of Museums, §. 8. and F. M. 8. Correctly identified specimens of each species should then be mounted, and together with their nests placed on permanent exhibition in the Museum at Sandakan. They could then be regarded as a permanent reference. 7 VI. THE NEST ITSELF. An immense amount of folk-lore most of it based on inaccurate observation has grown up concerning the composition of the nests and the causes of the different kinds. Regarding the first of these it seems unnecessary to do more than quote Prof. Alfred Newton who as long ago as 1894 wrote, “.........and their composition, though announced many years since by Home, whose ‘statement was confirmed by Bernstein, has of late been needlessly doubted in favour of the popular belief that they were made of some kind of seaweed, Algae, or other vegetable matter collected by the birds. It may be hoped that the examination and analysis by Dr. J. R. Green (Journ, of Physiol., VI, pp. 40—45) have settled that question for all time. These remarkable nests consist essentially of mucus, secreted by the salivary glands above mentioned which dries and looks like isinglass. Their marketable value depends on their colour and purity, for they are often intermixed with feathers and other foreign substances.” The nest, of whatever quality, consists of the half saucer-like portion (‘‘flesh”’) and the two expanded buttress-like attachments (‘‘feet’’). From observations and enquiries made on the Kinabatangan River I believe the following facts to be well substantiated :— The white nests are usually formed entirely of inspissated saliva although foreign matters are sometimes included. In black nests the saliva is largely mixed with feathers etc. The non-edible nests of cyanoptila are composed of moss etc. glued together with a small amount of saliva the foot con taay rather more than the saucer. The nests vary in appearance and quality according to which batch they belong but not to the extent believed by some natives. The first ‘white’ nests are thick and much tinged with red. The second nest is of a better quality: it is thinner and whiter. The third nest is smaller, very thin and much stained with red. The red stain is chiefly noticeable at the base of the nest where it is attached to the wall. The building of the first nests takes a long time. They are gradually developed and much stained, no doubt largely by contact with the cave wall before they are gathered. The second nest rather thinner, because of the further sustained effort involved on the part of the bird, is made more quickly and is therefore cleaner. The third nest, also thin, is much stained by the young occupants before it is taken. In the case of the black nests the second nests contain more feathers than the first nests. They are also thinner, and less valuable: gathering of the third crop of black nests is not considered a commercial proposition. The commercially ideal nest is very white, entirely free from feathers and unstained. Local opinion, and the prices realized support the view, is that Lahad Datu nests are better than those of Gomantong although these are very good; but that the best white nests of all come from the tiny islet of Berhala in Sandakan Bay. These latter are of very fine quality. The flesh is very white and the feet can also be eaten. In Gomantong nests the feet are usually red and inedible. We have seen that these first quality nests are the product of C. francica mearnsi. The Lahad Datu white-nest builder has yet to be identified. 8 Vil. HISTORICAL. In the History of the Ming Dynasty (1368—1643), Book 325, mention is made of birds’ nests among the products of Johore: they probably came from the islands off the east coast of that State. An old register kept at Batavia and dated 1663 also refers to the transport of consignments of nests. Research would almost certainly produce earlier references. “ Hirundo esculenta” was of course known to Linné and Buffon cites a correspondent who, embarking for a voyage to China in 1741, visited some nesting places of ‘la salangane” near Java. An early and full account of the important caves at Karangbolong in Java is to be found in Crawford’s History of the Indian Archipelago, III, 1820, p. 430 et seq. The author gives some interesting figures concerning the annual export of nests: he attributes to Java 200 piculs or 27.000 Ibs. but remarks that the greatest quantity comes from the “ Suluk Archipelago ” which is credited with 530 piculs : 30 piculs are also attributed to “ Maccasar”’. Crawford naively remarks “ how the latter (7. e. the Chinese) first acquired a taste for this foreign commodity is only less singular than their persevering in it. Among the western nations there is nothing parallel to it unless we except the whimsical estimation in which the Romans held some articles of luxur y, remarkable for their scarcity rather than for any qualities ascribed to them.’ The earliest mention I can find to the North Borneo caves is the imdirect reference to the nests from the “Suluk Archipelago” made by Crawford in 1820: this may include the Gomantong caves. Concerning the Gomantong caves the first name to occur in the days of the Chartered Company is that of Pengeran di Gadong Samak just as often referred to in official documents as Panglima di Gadong. He is sometimes stated to have been the original owner of the caves, in possession when the Government took over, but from an unsigned article in the “‘ North Borneo Herald” II, No. 1, March 1884, p. 3, we learn that the grandfather of “‘Pangeran Samah”, the latter an influential Chief of the Kinabatangan district, was the first to work the rich birds’ nest caves of Gomantong. This ancestor was executed by his sovereign, then Sultan of Sulu, whose authority he had slighted. Of the Pangeran’s father nothing is said but we learn that Pangeran Samah himself had the collection of the birds’ nest of the Gomantong caves “ virtually in his hands”. The Government had acquired from the Sultan of Sulu his large share in the caves, so that it hada principal interest in seeing that the nests were properly collected at the due times and seasons, The Pangeran seems to have performed his duties in such an unsatisfactory manner that as a last resort the Government decided to take over the collection of the nests into its own hands and to pay to the rightful ewners their due shares of the amounts realized. The Pangeran was subsequently killed offering armed resistance to the Chartered Company which granted an annuity to his daughters. The present Government Agent for the caves is Guliga who is a son of one of the daughters: Guliga married a danghter of the brother-in-law (Dyte) who was with Pangeran di Gadong when he was killed but haying been 9 noted to have taken no part in the affray became administrator of the caves immediately after, having taken the oath of allegiance to the Government. But the mantle of authority has not fallen directly upon Guliga by virtue of his descent and the personnel of the practical administrators of the caves has known many vicissitudes, The actual working system in force for the various caves in the territory is not constant. Some like the Gomantong caves which were confiscated on the death of Panglima di Gadong are the property of the Government. Contractors are appointed from time to time and these are under the control of a paid Govern- ment Agent. The contractor draws the money and engages the workers in the kampongs who share in the profits. The Government was formerly paid $20,000 per annum for the rights to work the caves but the present arrangement is that the Government gets a royalty of fifty per cent of the total proceeds ( excluding certain minor adjustments). From privately owned caves the Government draws an annual royalty of 10 per cent. On the east coast the collecting rights of the caves are hereditary and registered by Government. VIll. THE NORTH BORNEO CAVES. It is much to be regretted that a complete list of the caves or known nesting places of the swiftlets in the territory cannot be given. Such a list would be of great value as a basis for administration and future investigations but it does not yet exist and its compilation would entail an exhaustive enquiry in every Residency of the country and require a much more intimate knowledge of the country than the writer possesses. All the large and easily accessible caves are of course well known but the whereabouts and character of others are very vague and some are, almost without doubt, unregistered. As a first step to any complete investigation I suggest that : 1. (a) A register of swiftlet colonies should be compiled and kept in each district office. It should show the exact location of all colonies and caves together with a certain amount of detail. There seem to be unrecorded casual nesting places, even on the Lower Kinabatangan. The number may be small but when the price fetched for the fine Berhala nests is considered even small numbers eannot be ignored. (b) The register shonld also record former and reputed nesting places many such “fancies” having a basis of truth. (c) It should also contain ample space for the observations of a succession of District Officers, Such a definite allocation of space would stimulate the energy of such D. O.’s with a taste for such an enquiry. It may be noted that to my certain knowledge a good many District Officers from Kota Belud have visited Mantanani Island but it is doubtful whether any observations except bare official 10 records are in existence. There is in fact considerable doubt as to how many collections are made each year on the island: even recent reports vary. 2. It should be noted that existing nesting colonies are situated in a great variety of situations. Small coastal islands are always possibilities but in direct opposition to this the nests may be found in jungle many miles from the sea. Extensive flat areas may be left out of account but isolated hills should be regarded as promising. Iixclusive of the caves on Gomantong Hill which are the most important in the country the known nesting colonies are roughly grouped together in Schedules II and III of Ordinance XII of 1914. 'T’o these should also be ‘added the Berhala Island caves vide G. N, 325/28. Taking adyantage of this published information the following uncritical list is obtained. It is almost certainly incomplete :— The Madai, Segalaong and Baturong group of caves. The Segama Caves. . Gaya Island ( Kast Coast ). Kelumpong River. The Senobong Caves, including Pengharapan and Lingutan. The Melikop Caves. Mantanani Island. Pahun Batu (Interior). Kuamut. 10. Melobong. ll. Bod Tai Caves. 12. Materis Caves. 13. Batangan Caves. 14. The Berhala Island Caves. 15, The Gomantong Hill Caves. AIS PO IX. THE GOMANTONG CAVES. From the commercial point of view the caves in the limestone hill of Gomantong are the most important in the territory. Gomantong Hill is situated in the middle of the forest reserve of that name and, in a straight line, less than twenty miles south of the town of Sandakan. ‘The caves have often been visited and several descriptions have been published. | The height of Gomantong Hill has been variously estimated ap-to-aamaximum -of 1,200-feet. The difficulties of its ascent have been exaggerated by one author : from base to summit the hill presents no trial greater than a steep walk or an easy scramble over boulders. From the summit there is a good view of Sandakan Bay and Pulau Berhala and, if visibility is good, Mt. on He can be seen. The caves, in the main, consist of two large chambers, oné“above the other. It has been said that the floor or the upper cave forms the roof of the lower cave and this may well be so. There seems some doubt as to whether the two main 11 caves have any direct communication but it has been suggested that a deep hole in the upper cave leads into the lower cave. The lower cave is known as Simud Itam, the upper caye as Simud Puteh. Other names, well known and commonly used in conversation are applied to certain parts of the caves, usually lateral recesses or shafts leading to the top of the hill. The use of these names is at first’ very confusing as the natives emphasize the entity of such places and are reluctant, probably on account of collecting rights to admit that the smaller is part of the greater! The best known of these second- ary names is Belongbulud which is merely a shaft leading into Simud Puteh from the summit of Gomantong Hill, The entrance to the lower cave is at the foot of the hill near, and level with, the bank of a small stream. The large porch-like entrance opens into a spacious lofty chamber strongly reminiscent of a cathedral nave. Sufficient light is admitted through large holes in the domed roof to enable one to see without lamps. The main features about the lower cave are that certain smaller caves or depressions open into it on the left and that another, dark, unexplored, but apparently large, cave runs off from a point approximately opposite to the entrance. This subsidiary cave is said to be inhabited entirely by bats. The first part of the cave is about one hundred yards long. The highest point of the “nave"’ has been estimated at four hundred feet. The bat cave has been said to run back for two hundred yards: its entrance is about thirty yards across, ay? * All these measurements are probably only the roughest of approximations. ~~ The- upper cave or Simud Puteh lies above the lower cave. To reach its entrance which i is a gap about fifty feet wide and thirty feet high it is necessary to retrace one’s steps from the lower cave and climb the hill. The interior of the cave, away from the a taasai is apenas dark and lights are necessary. jusl eve Se po -pacalo te ) He is paid 50 per cent of the gross amount tealized by the sale of all nests subject to certain minor adjustments. (c) He can work a cave for himself and sublet any cave to certain privileged natives (because of hereditary interests, ete. ). XXI. SUMMARY. From the evidence afforded by the present rather superficial enquiry it seeims certain that the birds’ nest industry of British North Borneo could be exploited yet further and made to yield increased profits to the workers and revenue to the Govern- ment. Improvements to this end can conveniently be grouped in two sections :— A. Scientific Control and Investigation Bb. Business Arrangements. Although it seems apparent that some action can be taken in Section A to increase production it is almost certain that any really substantial increase of revenue must accrue from provisions to be made under Section B, 24 A, Screntivic CoNTROL AND INVESTIGATION. It is at once necessary to emphasize the fact that in the very early stages of this enquiry I realized the futility of attempting, in the time at my disposal, a detailed investigation into the ecology of swiftlets. Iu three years a trained biologist should be able to produce a more or less exhaustive report on the subject. In the event of the Government ever considering such an appointment I think that a young man with a scientific training and a tastefor ornithology would find the appointment congenial. An excellent subject for doctorial thesis is provided. The salary, emoluments and privileges offered should be the same as those of a junior officer of professional status in the service. In the event of the Government not pursuing this course the following comments and suggestious are offered: — 1. The keynote of all practical administration of the caves should be CAUTION. The birds have bred there for many years and many remain in residence indefin- itely. The industry is probably stable, but epidemical diseases are not unknown among birds and the extreme susceptibility of breeding birds to interference is well known. The swiftlets have proved themselves very tolerant of human intervention but the introduction of any new, unsuspected element in their environment would be a dangerous experiment. 2. Under no circumstances should more than three collections of white nests be allowed in a “season”, “ 3. Any sudden decrease in the numbers of the birds or a serious shortage in the crop of nests for any one year should be met by the immediate enforcement of a close season which for convenience can be fixed in factors of one calendar year, lst January to 31st December. 4, To take the third crop of white nests before the young birds have vateitaaall vacated the nests is a sure way of exterminating the species. 5. An attempt to reduce the present high rate of infant mortality should be made (Section xiv). 6. A qualified engineer could possibly assist the climbers to reach parts of the caves hitherto regarded as inaccessible. B. Busrness ARRANGEMENTS. The writer is not qualified to make suggestions under this heading but the great difference between the wholesale price paid for nests in Borneo and the retail price asked in Singapore (the Hong Kong retail prices are not known) suggests that there is an inequitable division of a huge profit, the middle men getting more than their share while the workers and the Government get less. 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