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portion to the number of entries, or of cages present on the

judging day? To make the matter more ridiculous in this case,

the first prize was awarded to a bird which had no business in

the class, for a Ritieolated Parrakeet is not a Pigmy Parrot.

Although not exactly common in this country, for there is little

demand for it, it is not a rare species; and this bird at its best

could not have been a first class specimen :—-when I passed it, it

appeared to be approaching its worst. In this class there seemed

to be a good pair of Rosy Rovebirds, but I could hardly see

them in their dark but otherwise comfortable cage. The rest of

the class was filled up with Budgerigars.


Mr. Re Grace exhibited a couple of good Tui Parrakeets,

a most engaging species to my mind. An old male we have had

for some years will sit just out of my reach, and mock, and

cheek, and almost make faces at me like some impudent young

scamp who knows his parents are too effeminate to give him the

walloping he so richly deserves. But when a good boy, or

in any trouble, he will come on to my little finger, the only one

he can comfortably grasp with his tiny paws, and allow us to

kiss and caress him as placidly as if he were a kitten, puppy, or

baby. I tried very hard to persuade myself that Mr. Re Grace’s

birds were a pair, but was not successful. A very good female

Golden-shouldered Parrakeet was shewn by Mr. Hawkins;

probably it was the rarest bird in the Show.


The Rories and Rorikeets had but one representative

between them. Mr. Maxwell’s Scaly-breasted Rorikeet was a very

lively healthy bird, but in unusually poor colour. From what I

know of the species, I feel inclined to associate this loss of

colour with moulting on seed ; and this bird had nothing but

seed in its cage when I saw it. One would like to know

something more of its history. Mrs. Doherty exhibited a nice

Red-winged Parrakeet, and another was sent up by Mr. Sutton.

Mr. Hawkins’ Turquoisiue seemed to be in good feather ; but

Mr. Housden’s excellent pair of Pennants and Mr. Maxwell’s

well knowm Hawk-lieaded Parrot seemed a trifle stale. A very

lively White-browed Amazon, owned by Mrs. Cooper, helped to

cheer up its companions; but it should not have been ignored

by the judge just because it was a little woman in female attire

but, alas, it also had a woman’s tongue, so of course he passed

it with all speed.


One lady valued her very ordinary-looking Blue-fronted

Amazon at ^500 (so the catalogue) ; but the judge did not

notice the bird, which of course shewed very bad taste on the



