The Class for A.O.V. Small Insecftivorous contained only-

five entries — a pair of Grey-backed Zosterops, a single bird of

the same species, two pairs of Pekin Robins, and a rare little

Sugar-bird which its owner rather oddh" calls a Blue-headed

Warbler. There would seem to be no difficult}^ here, the Sugar-

bird being in the most perfedt condition and undoubtedl)^ rare

— but no, with almost incredible wrong-headedness, the judge

gives the only prize to the pair of Zosterops.


The large Insectivorous Class was well filled. First, Great

Racquet-tailed Drongo ; extra first. Toco Toucan. Second, a

pair of Australian Pittas ; extra second, Sio'nus ideronohcs. (a)

Third, Green-crested Touracou ; extra third, Tui or Parson Bird.

There were also — a specimen of Cassidix oryzivora ; two Mocking

Birds ; several Toucans of different species ; an Indian Barbet ; a

Laughing Jackass ; another Parson Bird ; quite a number of

Shanias, oddl}^ enough nearly all hens : and last but not least Mr.

Fulljames' La Plata Cuckoos which struck me as the strangest

and most noteworthy, though by no means the most taking, of

the birds in this class. The very fine Tui which received an

■extra third should, in ni}'^ opinion, have been higher up.


The Limit Class contained some very charming birds,

such as one does not expedl to find in a selling class. One little

bird, exhibited by Mrs. Frostick, struck me as specially rare and

curious — I understand that it came from the west coast of Africa.


I have felt bound to express mj^self somewhat stronglj''

about the judging, as it was, in my opinion, on the whole very

bad — much worse than it ■ has been in any year since 1894. It

may perhaps be urged in defence that the judge put condition

TDcfore raritj^ and that he was right in so doing. But even if

this were admitted there would still remain the numerous cases

in which the judge preferred common birds to rarer ones in

equally good condition. The fact is that no birds, whether foreign

birds or not, can be judged for condition onh*, for the simple

reason that in a large class at a good Show there are sure to be

several entries which are in pradticall)^ perfedt condition, and

between which there is nothing to choose on the score of con-

dition only. In classes of mixed species it is impossible to give

points for size, shape, or markings, and therefore rarity becomes

a most important element. Of two birds in equally good

condition there can be no question that the rarer should win —

to what extent rarity should be allowed to compensate for slight

defedts is a more difficult point upon which I need not enter.


(a) The more correct name for this species is Cassicus persicus (Thejapim Hang-nest).— A.G.B.



