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The Goldfinches were not of such good all round quality

as the Bullfinches ; 1267, a splendid bird, was not noticed. 1250,

the first prize bird, was nice, but far too brown on the flanks, in

fadt, too dark altogether ; surely the ideal Goldfinch ought to be

the one that most nearly resembles the wild ones, and not what

they may become by colour-feeding, but on this subjedt I shall

have more to say when we come to the Siskins.


The Chaffinches were a poor class, most of them being far

too dark and very wild. I preferred 1307 (second prize) a large

bird with good shoulders and steady; 1329, though a good large

bird, was very wild, and 1328 should have been higher. The

Linnets were, as usual, a large class. The first and second birds

were good and deserved their places, and were respectively of the

dark and light type. Which is the ideal ? 1345, third, had the


markings on the flanks all blurred, and should not have been

where it was. 1363 was remarkable for its size.


The Redpolls were a small class and consisted chiefly of

Mealies, cage-moulted birds being conspicuous by their scarcity.

1394 was good all round and deserved his place. 1393, second,

was fair, but 1397 w r as much better. I saw no reason for not

noticing 1390, it was a splendid bird in every way ; it was

a Lesser Redpoll, but that was not its fault. I should much

like to know how some of the exhibitors know the age of

their Redpolls. I have never succeeded in moulting one red,

nor heard of anyone who has, consequently I take it that

most of these Mealies have been caught during the winter,

and yet we read in the catalogue such remarks as “ cock,

2 years,” &c. I am sure the bird did not tell them, and I wonder

on what grounds they based the statement.


I may begin my notice of the Siskin class by stating that

there was only one bird which was typically marked as a wild

specimen should be. That bird, 1401, the only one with a really

black chin, and good in every other way, was not noticed. About

the rest I have nothing much to say, except that they were all

colour-fed to an unnatural extent, and with the exception of the

one above mentioned, not one approached in colour to a fresh

caught wild bird.


The skylarks were conspicuous by their absence, there

being only four entries as against eighteen last year. The first

prize bird, No. 1416, was a very fine specimen.


The Robins, on the whole, were not up to much, I pre¬

ferred 1423 (second), as being a larger bird, while otherwise

equally good.



