153 [Vol. xl. 
nest-purposes. The huts are 70 feet by 35 feet, holding 300 
birds. Several families are employed catching fish for the 
birds, tending them, and keeping off jackals and foxes, etc. 
The young reared in captivity go towards increasing the 
stock. The plumes appear about March, and these are 
pulled out about July, two pluckings of plumes take place 
in summer and two in winter. The plumes are graded, the 
best fetch about 200 rupees per tola. 
The killing of Egrets, and then the catching of live birds 
and sewing up their eyes, was put a stop to years ago by 
the order of Sir Hvan James, then Commissioner in Sind, 
and I can confidently say that no Egrets are nowadays shot 
in Sind—indeed, very few Sindhis are allowed the use of 
firearms. 
The exportation of Egret plumes has been stopped, but I 
understand the plumes from Sind are sold in India to 
various royal households. 
Obviously the plucking of plumes does not affect the 
birds much or they would cease to breed, which they do not, 
as two or three broods are reared each year by taking away 
the young and hand-rearing them. 
A small bunch of plumes was handed round for in- 
spection. An account, perfectly genuine with genuine 
photographs of the Sind Egret farms, appeared in the 
Bombay Natural History Society’s Journal some years ago 
by Mr. Birch. 
Mr. BH. C. Stuart Baker said that the quantity of Egret 
plumes produced by farmed birds at the present time was 
infinitesimal, as compared with the quantity obtained from 
killed birds. He had examined a large number of trade 
plumes, most of which were undoubtedly taken from killed 
birds. Such plumes were readily distinguished from moulted 
plumes. He doubted the possibility of the birds producing 
four sets of breeding plumes in the year. 
Mr. J. L. Bonnore related some of his experiences with 
regard to the re-introduction of the Buff-backed Heron into 
Egypt, and pointed out that birds kept in aviaries bred and 
