73



FOREIGN FINCHES AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE.


By H. R. Fillmer.


Excluding Foreign Bullfinches and Goldfinches, which are

of interest only to a very few, the Foreign Finches at the Crystal

Palace Bird Show of 1896 were divided into six classes, contain¬

ing between them 70 entries. East year there was the same

number of classes, but they contained 85 entries. It is disap¬

pointing that the greatly improved classification should thus have

apparently led to a decrease in the entries, and this, taken in

connection with the fadt that a somewhat large number of

entries were made in the wrong class, speaks badly for the

ornithological knowledge of the average exhibitor. While, how¬

ever, in 1895, 110 l ess than 15 entries in the Foreign Finch

classes were “absent” (doubtless on account of the severe

weather), this year only three were absent, so that the number

actually competing was only 3 less than last year. Moreover the

decrease in the Cardinals, of which an unusually large number

were exhibited last year, would alone account for the drop in

the number of entries.


Class 105 (Gouldian Finches, Parrot Finches, Pintailed

Nonpareils, and Cuba Finches). The first three species go well

together in a class, because they are all Grassfinches, and all very

brightly coloured, and they are, moreover, birds which compete

somewhat unfairly with more soberly attired birds. Cuba Finches

are probably put in this class because of the controversy about

their true classification, but it must be confessed that they seem

somewhat out of place there. There was only one pair of Cuba

Finches (belonging to Mr. Fulljames), but they were decidedly

good and well deserved the fourth prize which they received.

There was, likewise, only one Parrot Finch (also the property of

Mr. Fulljames), and this was awarded third—it would, doubtless,

have been higher if it had not been in the midst of a moult. A

common (Bunting) Nonpareil, had found its way into this class

by mistake. There were 8 entries of Gouldian Finches— 4 red

and 4 black.


Class 106 (Java Sparrows). Here were 6 entries, 4 pairs of

grey, 1 pair of white, and 1 pair pied. The first prize was

awarded to Dr. Butler’s handsome Greys, his own breeding, and

themselves the parents of 14 }x>ung in his aviary in 1895. Mr.

H. B. Smith received the second prize for his pair of White Javas.


Class 107 (Weaver or WhjMah Birds). I11 spite of the fadt

that most of these are hopelessly out of colour in February this



