784 JOUBNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVIII. 
upon scientific investigation that is not and cannot be directly productive 
however valuable its conclusions may eventually prove to the industries 
concerned. If the Director’s programme of research continues to be ade- 
quately supported by Government, about which some misgivings are felt, 
the operations of the Madras Department of Fisheries should become one 
of the greatest economic assets of that Presidency. The operations of the 
department have constantly expanded since its inception and include 
among other minor lines, a Zoological Supply section which we have much 
pleasure in bringing to the notice of schools, colleges and other educational 
establishments in India. The scheme was inaugurated by Mr. Hornell 
with the object of supplying schools and colleges where zoology is taught, 
with type and dissection specimens of our marine fauna for study in the 
class room. Until then, students to a large extent relied upon a study of 
text-book figures and had little or no familiarity with the animals them- 
selves. Tiiey could describe a sea-anemone or a holothurian with exacti- 
tude, but would fail to recognise either if they saw it alive in a rock-pool 
or on the sea shore. For school museums, Mr. Hornell has had prepared 
wall cases of typical mollusca, crustaceans and sponges. To render these 
more useful, he is engaged upon the preparation of illustrated handbooks 
descriptive of the types represented in these cases ; the first one, dealing 
with South Indian shells, has just been issued and he hopes shortly to 
complete a companion work on the larger Indian Crustacea, to illustrate a 
collection of our common crabs. 
Readers of our Journal will be interested to learn that Mr. Hornell has 
promised to write a series of descriptive papers on the common marine 
and fresh-water shells of India. In the present number of the Journal, we 
publish a paper by him on the Madras Aquarium while a future issue will 
contain a very interesting article on the Commensals of Indian Crabs and 
Alcyonarians. 
Nature Study in Schools. — While on the subject of Nature Study in 
schools we are pleased to state that as a result of representations made by 
the Society Government has been pleased to appoint a Committee “ to con- 
sider and report on the question of arranging for the formation, in 
co-operation with the Bombay Natural History Society, of a Nature Study 
Museum in Bombay, for the use of teachers and students of the subject.” 
The Committee will enquire into and submit proposals on the most advan- 
tageous methods of exhibiting suitable portions of the Society’s collections 
to European and Indian children in Government and recognised schools 
and will report on the best manner in which the Society can render 
guidance and assistance to teachers. The Committee thus constituted will 
also serve as a Standing Advisory Committee in future and will meet once 
a year to settle the lines of work. Mr. R. A. Spence has been appointed 
the Society’s representative on the proposed Committee and during his 
absence on leave in England, Revd. Father Blatter, s.J., f.l.s., will take 
his place. 
Egret Farming — In the present issue of the Journal we publish 
articles by Capt. C. E. Benson and Mr. Chevenix Trench, i.e.s., on the 
subject of Egret Farming. Members of the Society will recall the previous 
papers on the subject by Mr. G. Birch published in Vol. XXIII, No. 1. 
At the time of its publication Mr. Birch’s article roused considerable 
comment in England, especially during the period the Plumage Bill was 
before Parliament. Last year a proposition was afoot for a Government 
enquiry into the status of these farms, particularly with a view to 
establishing whether cruelty was being practised. The matter however 
was dropped for no very apparent reason. There can be little doubt that 
an enquiry intcfthis subject must eventually be undertaken. Numerous 
