138 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XV. 



have sprung from, and the marks showing the way the panther had dragged 

 off the woman, but her remains were never found and nothing was heard of 

 the child, so both must have been killed and eaten. 



The following list shows the damage done by the panther in the Mulher 

 Valley : he was probably the beast which did the man-eating in the Dangs and 

 also in the part of the Pimpalner Range of Khandesh adjoining the Mulher 

 Valley, but I can give no figures for damage outside the Nasik District. 



Number of people killed at once 24 



„ „ „ who died subsequently from being mauled 6 



Total deaths in Mulher Valley 30 



Number of people who were mauled but recovered, 11. 



L. S. OSMASTON. 



Deputy Conservator of Forests. 

 Camp Bhowli, Nasik District, 



January 1903. 



No. VIII.— NOTE ON THE BREEDING OF CERTAIN HERONS, ETC 



IN SOUTHERN INDIA. 



In Hume-Oates, under Herodias alba (Vol. Ill, p. 238), is mentioned a re- 

 sort near Madras where many waterfowl used to congregate for breeding. 



On coming across this reference I decided to find out whether the place 

 retains its old reputation in this way, and accordingly made inquiries last 

 summer concerning it. The result of these inquiries was full of promise and 

 I decided to visit the place, should I get an opportunity. 



As soon as the N.-E. Monsoon set in I communicated with Mr. A. C, 

 Tate, I.C.S., Judge at Chingleput, who very kindly instituted searching 

 inquiries for me. 



The monsoon came late and the tank at Vaden Tangal remained empty un- 

 til November 6th when heavy rain half filled it. The birds lost no time and 

 appeared on the 8th. The villagers said it usually took thirty days for the 

 birds to lay, dating from their arrival. I accordingly decided to visit the 

 place about December 10th. 



Happening however to be in Madras on duty at the end of November 

 and with a couple of days to spare, I thought it would be as well to go over 

 and see how the birds were progressing ; and well it was I did so. 



I went over to Chingleput on November 30th and through Mr. Tate's ex- 

 cellent bundobust was enabled to spend a most instructive day on December 1st. 



Leaving Chingleput at 5 a.m. in a \yony jutka, a 13-mile drive brought me to 

 within 3 miles of Vaden Tangal, which was reached in a bullock cart. 



On arriving at the tank I found a raft prepared, and started at once to 

 explore the nests. I found trees and tank exactly as described in Hume- 

 Oates. I found only 5 kinds of birds breeding, viz., 1527 Phalacrocorax 

 fuscicollis, 1553 Anastomus oscitans, 1554 Ardra manillensis (a few pairs 

 only), 1555 Ardea chierca, and 1568 Nycticorax griscus. 



