30



THE BRITISH BIRDS AT THE LONDON AND


PROVINCIAL ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S


EXHIBITION.


Held in the Aquarium, Westminster, on Nov 2nd, yd, & /\.th, 1897.

By Reginai^d Phillipps.


The members of this Society are heartil}^ to be con-

gratulated on their fine Exhibition of Birds, held on the first

Tuesday, Wednesdaj^ and Thursday of November.


The total number of exhibits must have been great ; and

possibly to this may be attributed various errors in numbering,

missorting of cages — getting worse each day it seemed to me —

and other little matters vexatious to the spirit of the orderly

man ; a little more organization or supervision v^'ould not have

hurt anybody.


The sickness and mortality among the birds v^^as not

inconsiderable, for which some of the exhibitors were not wholly

irresponsible. Apparently quite a number were more or less

debarred from drinking by their over-careful owners. The very

shallow show-cages, too shallow to allow some of the birds to

moderately extend their wings, and cruelly exposing nervous

and timid species, were sad to behold. And can all this pretty

painting of the inside of cages be otherwise than injurious ?

I^et me state a case. I purchased a bird on the Wednesday, not

a first class, but an apparently healthy, specimen. On the

Thursday it was lumpy ; and on the Friday morning when I

took it home it was nearly as round as a ball For a day or two

it was ver}' bad, but has since moderately improved. On

inspedling the cage, I found not only that the inside had been

painted light green but that actually the water-tin had been

painted inside and out. I suppose birds must be exhibited, but

exhibitors need not go out of their way to predispose the poor

captives to sickness and death.


Thanks to the glass roof of the Aquarium having been

thoughtfully covered over, the light was atrocious, rendering it

practically impossible to study some of the rarer exhibits as

one would have wished to have done.


Once more this Society has shown that it is possible to have

a great exhibition in the middle of the week, without intruding

on the sanctity of Sunday.



