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was equally fine and considerably rarer. A very good Grey came

third ; and there were several others of the same species as well

as some of the commoner Amazons shown.


Then came the class for Parrots not included above, and

here a Red Macaw shown by Mr. H, B. Smith was awarded first

prize ; tile second being awarded to an exceptionally fine female

Lclectus shown by Captain Sutton. There were also several

Cockatoos, and three Kings which should have been in the

Parrakeet class.


The last class, that devoted to all species not included

elsewhere, was, I think, the most interesting of any, as it contained

several birds of great rarity. Here Mr. T. H. Glasscoe took the

three first prizes with a Regent Bower-bird, a Masked Wood-

swallow, and a Sacred Kingfisher. The first two of these were

absolutely faultless, but the last looked rather sad in its close

quarters, and very different to the smart, bright-eyed, tight-

feathered bird he once was, when he had the run of the present

writer’s 36ft. outdoor aviary.


Mr. H. B. Smith exhibited two very fine Starlings, a Red¬

headed and a Purple-headed, both in very fine form, as well as a

good Warty-faced Honey-eater.



BRITISH BIRDS AT THE PALACE.


ByJ. Lewis Bonhote.


In point of entries, as in most other respects, the annual

show at the Crystal Palace this year may be said to be a distinct

improvement on its predecessors; this, in the British Section,

with which I am going to treat, is mainly due to the persevering

efforts of the N. B. B. and M. C., a Society which deserves the

support of all exhibitors of British birds. With the much more

liberal classification, there were far fewer disqualifications owing

to birds being entered in the wrong class ; the judging was also

better, and the elementary mistakes in the knowledge of the

birds, so conspicuous a feature some years ago, are now nearly

eliminated. Taken as a whole, the birds themselves seemed to be

of much better quality, and there were few birds that would not

have been noticed in a local show, if they were not actually in

the money. As regards rarity, we noticed an absence of the

rarer Warblers and delicate birds, such as Willow Wrens, Long¬

tailed Tits, Gold-crests, etc., and, as these birds seldom looked

really happy and well, their absence was rather an advantage

than otherwise.



