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Foreign birds were “judged ” at 8 p.m. There were only five entries

in the large-bird class, so the judge could not go very far wrong. Even

then, he gave first to a Gloss}' Starling over the fine Cheraprocne which

won first at the Crystal Palace in a class of 37 entries ! As both birds are

mine, I shall not be accused of writing from the disappointed exhibitor’s

point of view.


The small-bird class contained eight entries, as follows: Cuba

Finches, pair; Black - faced Gouldian, cock; ditto, hen; Red-faced

Gouldian, cock; Crimson - banded Whydah, cock (I believe the only one

ever shown in England, and one of the only two imported for many years);

Rufous-tailed Grass-finches, pair; Rufous-backed Mannikin, cock; and a

Saffron Finch. As I was an exhibitor, perhaps it will be better to describe

the judging rather than to criticise the awards.


At 8 p.m., in a room crowded to suffocation and lighted by the dim

religious light of oil lamps, the judge undertook to place these eight tiny

birds according to their merits. The exhibits between which he had to

discriminate were piled on the top of two tiers of poultry pens, at a

height of some seven feet from the floor. The cages were not taken

down, but the birds were induced to show themselves by the effective, if

somewhat crude, method of drawing a walking stick across the bars of their

cages. The Red Gouldian was soon awarded first. The Cuba Finches were

so effectively secluded in a primitive wooden box, that even the application

of the stick failed to bring them into view. A disinterested spectator

kindly took them down and showed them to the judge, who, after

remarking that “people should show birds in cages so that they could be

seen,” awarded them second prize. The Crimson-collared Whydah received

third, and the Black-faced Gouldian hen, fourth. The Rufous - backed

Mannikin was honoured by the judge’s remark that it was a “very nice

Spice-bird,” and was accorded a V.H.C. The Rufous-tailed Grass-finches

he characterized as “a neat pair of Orange - cheeks,” and they also

achieved the distinction of V.H.C. I ought to mention that, in the matter

of condition, there was nothing to choose between the birds, each one

being shown in perfect plumage. It was, therefore, only a question of

rarity and beauty, and the class could have been judged from a written

list of the competitors. I should like to know how near to, or rather how

far from, the awards, as given, would be those which would have been

given by anyone who really understood foreign birds. The intentions of

these judges are doubtless good, but their performances are distinctly

weak.


So much for the judging. I have already mentioned that the foreign

birds were “ staged ” seven feet from the ground. Well, upon my arrival at

the show on the second day, I found the cage containing the pair of

Batliilda ruficauda braced round with string, and was informed, in answer to

my enquiries, that a fowl had got loose in the morning, and had flown up

among the foreign birds’ cages. The efforts of the attendants, to recapture

the escaped prisoner, resulted in the two unfortunates in question being

given a Calcraft drop of seven feet. Excepting for the smashed cage, a

matter of some fifteen shillings, no particular damage had been done; but

these things set one wondering what happens to the unfortunate exhibits

which are entrusted throughout to the tender mercies of railway porters

and show officials.



Henry J. Furejames.



