The L.P.O.S. National Show. 71 



BIUTISH BIRD SECTION. 

 By H. GooncuiiiU, M.B.O.U. 



Oil our plate are ligured three most interesting species, viz.: 

 Top \h'll) /i(/nrv-^ (JvL'-iit Spotted Woodpecker (9) Dendrocopus majar- 



Liiina'us) , 

 Top {light) figuie Wryneck {I ijiix turquilla, Linuouus). 

 lUiUom //(y«/(i— Sandpiper {Tolanus liypoleucus, Linnccus). 



The Britisli bh'ds at tlie Palace, numbering all told 5(57 entries, 

 euntaine:! as usual, many species, interesting to both aviculturists and 

 ornithologists. Most of tlie enti\es, cf course, were of the commonly 

 kept seed-eating species; thus Bullfinches numbered 33, Goldfinches 

 35, Linmets 25. Chaihnciies 19^ Greenfinches 24, Lesser Redpolls 25, 

 Mealy Redpolls or Twites 25, Siskins 26, Bramblefinches 8, Hawi- 

 rmchn's 17, Yellowliammei's 20, other Buntings 25, Song Thrushes or 

 Blackbirds 17, Starlings 5, Magpie, Jay, or Okough 8, Nightingale 

 or Blackcap 6, Skylark 8, Woodlark, Pipit, Tit, etc. 15, Wagtails 

 8, Woodpeckers, Shrikes, etc. 12, small insectivorous birds lU, and tlie 

 riied, Albino, and other abnormal birds 1(3. 



Taking the most interesting species first, those figured in our 

 |i!at(! may well be put foremost. The most " out of the way " bird of 

 the lot was undoubtedly the Sandpiper, shown by Mr. J. Lane. This 

 little bird was evidently nervous, and though accommodated with a 

 cage suitable in type for such a bird, and piovided moreover with turf 

 to run about on, seemed somewhat ill at ease. It is open to question 

 ir a wading bird is suited to cage life, though as they are naturally 

 nimble anc' active and take a coneideiable amount of sxiercise, they un- 

 doubtedjv might be less suitable for cage or aviary life than they are. 

 Its timidity accounted for its taking fright now and tlien, when closely 

 Looked a!, and I was glad to see the veteran attendant providing it 

 with suitable animal food. The Great Spotted Woodpecker (3rd), a 

 female, shown by Mr. J. Yeallaud, wias a very good specimen, being 

 very tame and in perfect condition, also a good colour, the scarlet 

 under-tail-ooverts being very brig'ht, land the white generally very 

 pure. Our member, Mr. Millsum, came along with mealworms, and 

 fed it, and remarked to me that he believed it was a hen bird that 

 he had once possessed. Certainly the bird ti-eated him as if it knew 

 and remembered him. This species is not so very easy to see, 

 around London, as the Green species, at any rate in either Epping* 

 Foiest or Richmond Park. 



The last bird on our plate, the Wryneck, shown by Mr. J, 

 Jeffrey, was a nice tame bird, and when the electric lights W'ere turned 

 on, showed some inclination to display. The owner told me that it "was 

 accustomed to display when ai home, and the water made a sketch of 

 it, with the tail partly spread, the neck extended, but not quite suffici- 

 ently goo<i to be used for our magazine. Unfortunately the bird aban- 

 doned its apparent intention of displaying, and tlie sketch for its 

 porti-ait had to be made of a comparatively ordinary pose. 



