beautifully feathered and polished, might easily have 

 scored, though there were some rattling birds in the 

 commended cards once again. Last year's winning 

 Haw^finch again came out on top, in fresh hands this 

 time, and I think him unbeatable except in point of 

 size. The grand old champion Yellowhammer, too, 

 once more demonstrated his superiority, and except 

 that he has developed " leggings" in his old age, looks 

 as well as when I first saw him — is it five or six years 

 ago ? The A. O. S. Bunting class contained some 

 champions ; a marvellous Corn Bunting, but handi- 

 capped by being badly staged. The winning lyark, by 

 virtue of iis immense size, scored easily, though some 

 sweet exhibits followed. An old form and voice, I 

 believe, greeted me in the Robin class, as sprightly and 

 full of music as ever. I don't like to see a Robin in a 

 cage, though. The melancholy sadness of the ex- 

 quisite song seems accentuated, and chills me as 

 though the little singer were voicing his regrets of 

 happier days, alas ! long past. 



The Blackbird, the Song Thrush, the Starling, and 

 the Magpie, etc. classes were a veritable triumph for 

 condition and perfection of plumage ; birds excelling 

 in these qualities scoring in many instances over birds 

 that, considered technically, were, perhaps, better 

 specimens. This was strikingly exemplified in the 

 Song Thrush class. The second prize winner struck 

 me as a real marvel, quite one of the best ever seen 

 for massive build, bold carriage, and regularity of 

 mooning, and yet, apart from his frayed outer wnng- 

 flights, he was well-beaten by polish and condition 

 alone. 



The rare- feathered exhibits, too, on the whole, 

 were in poor feather and condition, though the winners 

 themselves were excellent ; in fact, had I been allowed 

 my choice of the wdiole section I think I should have 

 carried the Albino Yellowhammer home— it is a 



