154



The Crystal Palace Bird Show.



the show too long for delicate birds, and it is hardly to be won¬

dered at that many owners of rarities hesitate before submitting

them to the ordeal of a Palace Show. There were several very

rare exhibits, foremost amongst which was a fine team of birds

sent by Mons. Pauwels from Belgium, while Messrs. Maxwell

and Townsend were also in the front rank.


In the first of the foreign classes, that devoted to Budgeri¬

gars, Lovebirds and Hanging Parrots, M. Pauwels easily won the

first place with his pair of Blue Budgerigars. It is not often that

a variety or freak is more beautiful than the normal bird from

which it is derived, but in this case I think most people will

agree that the delicate blue, set off by the white of the face,

renders this variety more strikingly beautiful than the normal

green, lovely as this bird is. Mr. Townsend’s Blue-crowned

Hanging Parrot, which came second, was a very perfect specimen,

while the pair of Ceylonese Hanging Parrots sent by Mr. Maxwell,

although uncommon cage-birds at the present time, were not in

show condition.


The class for the larger Parrakeets was headed by a very

perfect male Black-hooded Parrakeet ( Psephotus cucullatus ), sent

by M. Pauwels; the second prize going to the same exhibitor’s

fine pair of Bourke’s Parrakeets; third came Mr. Maxwell’s pair of

Browns. The Queen Alexandra Parrakeet sent by Mr. Maxwell,

although a decidedly rare bird, was old and out of condition.

Mr. O’Neill sent a nice pair of Ceram Lories.


The class for other Parrots was again headed by M. Pauwels

with a good Hawk-headed Parrot. The Rev. G. H. Raynor’s

Meyer’s Parrot was awarded second place, though it was not

nearly such a rare exhibit as his Everett’s Thick-billed Parrot

which was placed third. M. Pauwels sent a so-called “Pigmy

Parrot,” which unfortunately escaped before the show, and was

not re-captured. This bird was not, however, a true Pigmy

Parrot (. Nasiterna ) but a species of Cyclopsillacus. No specimen

of any species of true Pigmy Parrot has ever been seen in

Europe so far as I am aware.


Amongst the common Waxbills, Grassfinclres, &c., there

was nothing to call for special mention ; though in the class for

the rarer species there were a few interesting exhibits. The first



