47 



jiulg-e is tlie suitability and cleanliness of the cage in 

 which a bird is shewn, but since birds are seldom 

 exhil)ited in the cages in which they live, too much 

 credit should not be given for this point. At the same 

 time, an exhibitor who does not take the trouble to send 

 his bird in a decent cage, has no right to complaini 

 when he is beaten by the man who exhibits his bird 

 properl}-. Beauty of form and plumage can hardly fail 

 to exert a great influence on the judge's mind ; other 

 things being equal, a beautifully coloured bird will 

 always beat a duller looking species. But beauty is so 

 much a matter of opinion that I think the judge ought 

 not to allow this consideration to weigh too mucli with 

 him. Some judges attach great importance to "steadi- 

 ness." A very " steady " bird has generally passed a 

 great part of its life in travelling from Show to Show in a 

 small cage, which is not a thing to be encouraged. On 

 the other hand it is most painful to see a very timid bird 

 fluttering wildly at the approach of each visitor. No 

 bird ought to be sent to a vShow unless it is tame enough 

 to bear being looked at without being scared out of its 

 wits. Due credit therefore should be given to steadiness. 



There are certain special difficulties with which the 

 foreign bird judge has to contend. 



One of the most important of these difficulties is the 

 enormous number of species of foreign birds which are, 

 or are liable to be, imported as cage ])irds. However 

 experienced an aviculturist the judge may be, he will 

 from time to time be called upon to pass judgment upon 

 a bird which he has never before met with, possibly the 

 first specimen of its species to be imported and 

 exhibited. The foreign bird judge should never lose an 

 opportunity of visiting a public or private collection of 

 birds, he should study every book on the subject to 

 which he has access, and he should be well acquainted 

 with the skins at the Natural History Museum. He will 

 then be able to assert with confidence when he meets 

 with a new bird, " that must be a very rare bird, I have 

 never seen one before." 



