796 
BIRD-LIFE. 
there, over the whole length and breadth of its extensive 
beat; towards evening it retires to certain fixed roosting- 
places, which consist of high trees standing undisturbed 
and surrounded by water: on these it retires to rest in 
company with other members of the family. 
I have already given a description of its habits during 
the breeding season, but will now give some further 
particulars about the nest. This is placed either in the 
swamps on clumps of broken reeds, or on trees, and 
when situated on the latter is generally placed high up. 
The ground-work of the nest is formed of dry twigs of 
different sizes, upon which are laid dead reeds and flags; 
and, lastly, the hollow of the nest is lined with the leaves 
of reeds and sedge. By the beginning of May these nests 
contain from three to four pale gray-green eggs, about 
the size of those of the domestic duck. After three weeks 
incubation the young are hatched: these at first are 
excessively ugly, but they are, nevertheless, the objects 
of great affection to the parent birds, who provide them 
with more than a sufficiency of food. The young can be 
reared by hand without much trouble, and may be tamed 
to a certain extent; they would also most probably 
breed in confinement, for they agree peaceably with allied 
species, and will live for years. 
Man is the chief enemy of the Great White Egret, 
pursuing it, as he does, for the sake of the exquisite 
feathers which grace the back of the bird. These feathers 
are manufactured into plumes, worn by the Hungarian 
magnates, and by their splendidly-dressed soldiery in 
their schakos. It would, indeed, be difficult to find any 
other feather so well adapted for such a decoration as 
the long waving plumes of this. Ostrich feathers look 
heavy and—however pure and clean they may be—dirty 
