12 
NATURE NOTES. 
to their inspection, have been invariably composed of real 
feathers, or the remains of such — ugly, split-up, often dyed and 
stiffened, but still the remains of the feathers of egrets or herons, 
the exact species of which could frequently be recognized by an 
expert. 
Now, another salve for tender consciences is offered by the 
suggestion that the feathers “ sold by thousands, and possibly 
millions,” in the London shops, are “ cast by the birds them- 
selves after the breeding season.” Mrs. (or Miss) Stock bases 
her opinion on the fact of having received a quantity of egret 
plumes in very good condition gathered “ on the walls in 
China ” by a lady missionary, who could have sent her friend as 
many as ever she wished for. It would be interesting to know 
when these feathers were gathered, and whether they have 
been examined by any experienced person. It seems strange 
that a lady with such a purse of Fortunatus open before her 
should have failed to wish for a large supply of a valuable article 
to be obtained in so easy and unobjectionable a manner. She 
writes of having worn egret feathers for some years, and there- 
fore cannot understand the pain which the sight of these lovely 
plumes inflicts on those men and women who are vainly pro- 
testing against the cruel fashion which has caused, and is 
causing, the slaughter of birds to an extent far beyond human 
reckoning. 
This may be deemed an extreme view of the matter. Let 
those who think so inquire into it for themselves. As a contri- 
bution to the inquiry, here are the opinions of two recognized 
authorities on the latest excuse for aigrette wearing. 
Professor Newton writes: — “I should have thought the 
statement to which your letter refers hardly worth notice. 
Whatever number of egrets’ feathers the lady missionary in 
China may have picked up, it is certain that ‘ cast ’ feathers do 
not find their way into the market, which is undeniably supplied 
with them from birds which have been killed during the breed- 
ing season. I should doubt whether cast feathers have any 
value at all in the plume trade, and my belief is that no one 
concerned in it would look at them. Perhaps the correspon- 
dent might be invited to submit the feathers of which she writes 
to the Editor for inspection and report.” 
Mr. W. H. Hudson writes:— “I have no hesitation in 
saying that the statements to which you call my attention 
cannot be true. The tuft of elongated dorsal feathers which the 
egret displays in spring is, we know, a nuptial ornament, present 
in both sexes, and is shed at the end of, or shortly after, the 
breeding season. I have had opportunities of seeing these 
feathers in all stages on the bird, and have also picked up a few 
that had been dropped in swamps where egrets were abundant, 
and 1 can confidently say that during and after incubation they 
deteriorate; and that after the young have left the nests, and 
