EGRET FEATHERS.
• [To TER Eorroft OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—At the risk. of tiring you, I feel I must write a few lines once more in reply to Mr. Gardiner's letter ye egret feathers in the Spectator of October 3rd. Mr. A. J. N. Barker's. statement, which is scoffed at by Mr. Gardiner, about the egret plumes collected from Nigeria being shed by the bird at the end of the breeding season, is absolutely true' of the same bird in North-West India. I lived there for twenty-eight years, and every winter was spent under canvas, wandering froth place to place; and as I have stated before in your pages, the country for miles round the big " jhils" (swamps) was white with the shed feathers of the egret. The swamps were covered with the living birds like snow. I never saw one shot. I myself collected quantities of the plumes. They were dirty, but a few turns in soapsuds and bleaching in the sun restored their beauty. Mr. Gardiner is quite wrong in saying the egret bears two long feathers only. His whole back wings and breast are covered, as with a lace petticoat, with the lovely thread-like feathers. I have seen the birds in thousands, and as the breeding season passed the feathers were shed. If Mr. Gardiner will look in any natural history at a representation of an egret in his nuptial dress he will see that I am right, or if he would like I can send him a drawing of such a bird. No one can be a more ardent anti-plumage-ite than I am. I never wear anything but an occasional ostrich or "osprey" spray, because I know that no bird-slaughter is necessary to procure either. I can recall many and many a camping-place where the whole country was for miles round a sheet of white egrets, and no one ever disturbed them. No European ever shot them, as they are not good eating, and the natives could gather all the feathers they wanted in any quantity.—I am, Sir, &c.,
MEM SAMBA.
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