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presume, one of a pair exhibited at the Palace in February

(as Pytelia afro). It appears to be either a Red-faced finch

or an Aurora finch, with a tendency to albinism ; but if so it is

curious that there should have been a pair of them with similar

markings. When I first saw them I thought they might be

immature birds. That supposition was evidently a wrong one.

Can the owner of the birds throw any light on the subject.


Mr. Fulljames’ bird, formerly called a Tong-tailed

Combasou, has been finally identified as a Resplendent Whydah,

and appeared in full health and beauty. The name is somewhat

misleading, inasmuch as the bird is by no means brilliantly

coloured.


The Violet-eared Waxbills, which have been a conspicuous

feature of recent Shows, were here only conspicuous by their

absence. They are delicate birds, and it is to be feared most

of those imported have already died.


The genus Poephila was well represented by the Tong¬

tailed ( P. acuticauda), White-cheeked (P. leucotis) and Masked-

finches (P. personated), besides the better known Parson and

Gouldian finches. The latter always seem to find Shows very

trying to their constitution, and some specimens at least generally

look lanquid and puffy. I gave up keeping Gouldian-finclies

sonic years ago on account of their delicacy, in the hope that

some of our younger and more enterprising aviculturists might

discover the secret of keeping them in health, but, so far as

I am aware, the secret is yet undiscovered. There were two

pairs of Three-coloured parrot finches in good condition but

wild. They did not strike me as being very attractive birds.


Mr. Fulljames’ Blue-headed Tanager is a lovely bird and

looks hardy enough, and his pair of Zosterops were charming.

The same gentleman’s Andaman, Black-headed and Malabar

Mynahs, in the next class, were perfect examples of the right way

of exhibiting birds. Each bird was spotlessly clean, with every

feather in place, and shewn in sufficiently large, yet unobtrusive,

cages.


A pair of Nicobar Pigeons would doubtless have been

handsome and attractive in a clean, roomy aviary, but in a small,

and, therefore, dirty cages, they were far from prepossessing.


In the last class was the beautiful Green Touraco, which

has been pretty frequently seen at recent Shows. A very

remarkable bird was the Sacred Kingfisher, a bird whose un¬

obtrusive brown plumage formed a curious contrast with a pair

of wonderful, deep-blue eyes. There were also a pair of the



