;6



RECENT BIRD SHOWS.


By Reginald Phillipps.


f Continued from page 27) .


II.


The London Cage Bird Association's Annual Show at “ Lord's," November

to and 12 , i8q4.


I visited “Lord’s” on the morning of the last day of the Show, in a

downpour of rain ; and so dark was the room, or, at any rate, a number of

the cages which were placed sideways to the light that, although I could

recognise the species of bird encaged, I could do little more. Many of the

Foreign Birds, happily, were in more fortunate positions, if I may except a

few which were shelved a “little” too high for examination. The number

of exhibits (remember I do not refer to the Canaries) was disappointing, but

the quality was good : however, excepting Mr. Betts’ Ornamented Lorikeets,

rare birds there were none. Seeing how small the classes were, I think the

authorities might have managed to get the numbers on the cages into

agreement with the catalogue. There were several annoying blunders ; and

in one of the Mule classes I cannot think that the parentage of two birds,

as published in the catalogue, was correct: having found the catalogue

inaccurate in other cases, I had no confidence in its statements in this case,

and think that the birds must have been crossed: and on a point of this

kind any doubt constitutes a grievance.


Owing to the scarcity of entries some of the classes had been cancelled,

and others contained only three or four birds. Thus the thought arises: —

What is the value of a First, unless it be known how many birds are com¬

peting? A winner here can truthfully say that such and such a bird took

the first prize ; but the same bird in a larger class might have been ignored.

“Well, Jack, how did you get 011 with your lessons?” “Oh! tip-top,

uncle.” “ Where were you in your class ? ” “ Second, uncle.” “ Hem ! and

how many were there in the class ? ” “ Two, uncle.” And so Jack loses his


half-crown. Let me cite a case. In class 80 there were only three very

common birds exhibited, a Chaffinch, a Yellow Bunting, and a Hawfinch,

and these were awarded 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, in the order named, according to

the cards on the cages; but even over these three birds someone had

blundered, for the catalogue put the Bunting first. Here the winner of the

third prize was actually at the bottom of the class, aud in my judgment was

not worthy of a prize at all. The third prize should have been withheld,

and a fourth prize given instead in Class 86, where more than one bird was

entitled to it by merit.


But to proceed. In Class 83, for any other variety of British Bird,

Mr. Coggin won an easy first with a charming Grey Wagtail, and Mr. Cook’s

Whinchat, which came next, was worthy of much praise. According to

the catalogue, and to those papers which give accounts of Shows only 7 from

the catalogues, the third prize was awarded to a Redwing: but a very

ordinary Nightingale was the only tenant of the cage. I liked the look

of Mr, Smith’s Nightingale better: it had been awarded v.h.c., along with

a Nuthatch and a Blackcap. A Robin was marked h.c. — highly condemned.

If people must exhibit birds, at least let them be placed in fitting recep¬

tacles: let me refer the owner of this poor creature to the cage in which

the Grey Wagtail was exhibited. Small wonder that so many people raise

their voices against the keeping of Cage Birds. A Swallow was absent from

its place on sick leave : comment is superfluous. Classes 84 aud 85 had been

cancelled; but 86, for small Foreigners, looked up with eleven entries and

ten cages (of which four contained pairs) and the customary error in

the catalogue. Here Mr. Castellan’s Violet Tanager came first: it was in

decidedly better trim than when I had seen it at the Aquarium, where it

stood fourth in a class of about twenty-seven. The second prize was carried

off by Mr. Steele, with a healthy-looking pair of Cuba Finches, a little

rough in feather. I hardly think Mr. Castellan’s Pekin Robin should have

been placed next ; it was a very nice little bird, but it is so common, aud so

easily kept. Its colour was poor, but perhaps this was a recommendation,



