Foreign and British Birds at Holborn. 79 



brids were the Quail and Dove which are his choice for first 

 and second. Howevier, all were really good specimens of 

 their kind, with their parentage about cc|ually represented. 



BRITISH SECTION. 



Hybrids: Almost every cross of British Finch X 

 Canary was staged in their respective classes, and some very 

 beautiful birds were among the 51 entries. 



Hybrids Between British Birds: The entries were 

 24, and included some striking, beautiful, and interesting 

 birds. Interest appeared to centre round the three birds, 

 said t;o be Song Tlirush X Blackbird, which the judge passed 

 as pure Thrushes. The writer closely examined them and 

 though the Thrush parentage was certainly dominant, he is of 

 the opinion that they are hybrids and that as they become 

 older the beaks and eye ceres of the specimens shown will 

 place this beyond doubt. The Finch crosses produced somo 

 really beautiful birds, with parentage quite distinctly shown 

 in respective plumages. I -will nam;e a few. 



Goldfinch X Bullfinch. Goldfinch X Siskin. 



Redpoll X Bullfinch, Goldfinch X Redpoll and vice versa. 



Linnet X Bullfinch. Goldfinch X Greenfinch. 



Greenfinch X Chaffinch. Goldfinch X Linnet. 



Bramblefinch X Chaffinch Greenfinch X Redpoll. 



These were all birds to arrest the attention, even of 

 those whoi do. not approve of mongrels. 



Hakdbills; These were legion, almost every British 

 Finch being represented, though some of them, in spite of 

 grand health and plumage, were not pleasing to those who 

 prefer natural to the artificial beauty lof colour feeding. 



Softbills: These were a most interesting lot and 

 demonstrated how fully the keeping of birds in cages is now 

 understood and practised. A list of the species staged will 

 probably be of interest. 



Song Thrush. Reed Warbler. 



Missel Thrush. Darlfotd Warbler. 



Fieldfare. Common Wren. 



Blackbird. Tree Pipit. 



Nightingale. Skylark 



BLuktajj. Shorel.irk, 



