18 Nesting Notes. 



culturist that he also has noticed this ti'iek with his Fruit- 

 suckers. I suppose their abhorence of settling on the ground 

 is notorious, but I never knew of it until I kept the species 

 out of doors, and suppose it must be on account of the bright 

 contrast they would make if they I'un al)out, starling-like, on 

 the brown and parched soil of their native India. 



Before I bring- this lengthy paper to a close, a story 

 with a moral may not be out of place. 



A.t the beginning of the year, when I was trying to 

 get a pair- of C. anrifrons I was offered one by a dealer at a 

 good deal less than the usual price, " because it was out of 

 feather." The bird arrived and tallied perfectly with the 

 dealer's description, it w^as, in fact, balder than any vulture. 



However, as it was fairly wild and lively, and fi\sr> 

 because I did not like the idea of sending it back to its 

 smelly shop, I kept the bird; he improved greatly Avith soap 

 and warm water, and quickly grew a wig, and jiroved himself to 

 be a C. jerdonii. of which, I believe, there is only one 

 other in the country at present. 



If I have been guilty of writing too fully on matters 

 of small importance, I must disclaim all blame, which must 

 fall on the shoulders of our esteemed and energetic Editor. 

 I have written to him asking him to clip my article to any 

 extent, and to keep it for some rainy day, when he is short 

 of subject-matter for Bird-notes. 



Birmingham Show— Foreign Section. 



The Birmingham St-ciety held their aiuiual show on Wednesday 

 and Thursday, November 30 and December 1; the dates coinciding 

 with the Cattle Show, as may be expected, there was a large 

 attendance of " out of town " fanciers, and of the public generally, 

 in fact during the evening tho show room was uncomfortably crowded, 

 and a larger hall W(-uld have be?n a distinct advantage. 



This is the fij-st year that this Society has gone past the 

 the two class classification, and, I regret to say, with lamentable 

 results. Really, if exhibitoi-s will not support a society which 

 endeavours to cater for them, they have only themselves to blame 

 if classification is again cut down. 



Six classes were given, and F.B.C. patronage obtained. 



Only three F.B.C members exhihited. 



