341 



mistake. Tliey watch for me passin,^ the aviary, and 

 there is a shrill chorus of disappointment if I do not 

 <(o inside. I tried keeping the two new ones with the 

 original trio, bnt these chased the two new-comers 

 about so that I was obliged to separate them. The 

 operations were conducted in the most business like 

 way, all three acting in unison to expel the intruders. 

 Cactus Conures are fairly hardy, easy to keep, and cost 

 but five or six shillings a pair. Mine have been for 

 some time in the same aviary as my tiny Waxbills, with 

 no bad results." 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



"JUDGING BRITIvSH BIRDS." 



vSiR,— As a rule I do not reply to the writers of letters 

 under a noni de plitine, but as I presume the writer of the 

 letter under the above heading in "Bird Notes" for 

 December is a fellow member of our Club, I feel it my 

 duty to reply to him, seeing that I treated of the subject 

 in question, in an article recently published. 



Whoever are the Judge or Judges " Hardbill " refers 

 to, I contend they deserve the hearty support of every 

 member, and particularly the exhibitors of British 

 Birds. 



I am at loss to see the great superiority of Yellow 

 Buntings over the other species named. 



Mr. " Hardbill," you must admit it is hard lines for a 

 good Bramblefinch, or Haw^finch, or even Chafifincli, to 

 play third fiddle to two of what you call Yellow- 

 hammers, in a class of the kind in question. Variety 

 Classes are not very satisfactory, even with the arrange- 

 ment condemned by "Hardbill." but I am inclined to 

 think Variety Classes would soon become Yellow 

 Bunting Classes, pure and simple, if all our Judges acted 



Peregrine Bat.i,. 



