268 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1891. 



1 had not time to see. It was to build, in whatever village herds of goats 

 were, pens some distance from the village and keep the goats in there at night, 

 with a good Shikari sitting up over it. The smell of the goats -will attract the 

 wolf, who in attempting to take his prey should be shot. 



The most effectual, but at the same time the most difficult plan, is to surround 

 a tract of country to which wolves have been tracked, stop the holes in it and 

 beat it as one would for game. This cannot, however, be left to the people or 

 malguzars, as they have no idea of working together, and apparently take 

 little interest in the hank until the animals are surrounded at the finish. Every 

 mile or so should be supervised by a Government official, and every man should 

 be shown his place, and instructions given him some days before hank. By 

 means of beats of this kind I secured several wolves. 



I would also state that the ordinary village Shikaris, who occasionally shoot 

 fish, are also useless. The only persons of any use are those who really have 

 a liking for sport, and who will work all day and not come back discontented 

 from a blank day. 



I think every inducement should be made to get wolves killed off as much as 

 possible, and in circles where they are abundant their kills should be poisoned. 

 They are useless animals for sport, and though as a rule they do not do much 

 harm to human life, yet when they do take to killing people they are difficult 

 animals to get at, whereas in their ordinary state they can be easily approached. 

 Shikaris should be warned that when they come across any holes containing 

 wolf cubs, they should first kill the parents and then catch the young. 



From August to the 28th February, 6 wolves and 15 cubs were disposed of, 

 and from March last, when I began operations, to the 25th April, 7 wolves and 

 10 cubs have been accounted for. It may be said that the pack which com- 

 mitted these depredations is now destroyed. 



H. A. PLAYFAIR, 



■Mth April. 1891. District Superintendent of Police, 



VI.— THE MIGRATIONS OF BIRDS. 



The migrations of birds have of late attraoted a great deal of attention in 

 Europe, and the subject gains in interest with every accession to our knowledge 

 of it. In this country unfortunately Ornithologists have as yet been too much 

 occupied with the identification, or discrimination, and distribution of species 

 to give much attention to their wanderings. I do not refer only to the annual 

 arrival and departure of those " upper classes" which winter in a warm climate 

 and summer in a cool one ; but to those periodical migrations from the hills to 

 the plains, or from one district to another, which so many birds make for 

 reasons at which we can only guess. An example which will suggest itself to 



