74



class secured 8 entries, of which, however, 2 were absent. Mr.

Housden took first with a bird which he calls a “Yellowish

Weaver,” though Mr. Abrahams told me that he believed it to be

the female of Passer luteus. I was disposed to think, at the

time, that it was one of the true Sparrows and not a Weaver at

all, but have since come round to the opinion that it was really

Sitagra hdeola (a female). Mr. Swaysland received the second

prize for a bird which was so far gone out of colour that its iden¬

tification was a matter of considerable difficulty. My own

belief is that it was Penthetria albonotata, and if I am right, then

it was a verj^ rare bird, possibly the rarest in the show. There

were besides a good Pintailed Whydah in nearly full colour, a

shabby Rufous-necked or Textor Weaver, a rather poor Napoleon,,

and a pair of Common or Russ’s Weavers, quite out of colour.


Class 10S (any species of Grassfinch, Mannikin, or

Waxbill, not previously mentioned). This was a large class of

27 entries, only one of which was absent. It would have been

better to divide the birds in this class into at least two classes.

It is remarkable that no less than 4 pairs of Bathilda ruficauda

were exhibited ; all of these were good, but Mr. Dewar’s, which

received first prize, pre-eminently so. There were three entries of

Chestnut-breasted Mannikins and two of St. Helena Waxbills—

no other species was represented by more than one pair. The

second prize fell to an excellent pair of Cordon Bleus. The third

was awarded to some nice Lavender Finches. Mr. Cronkshaw

received the fourth prize for his pair of Bathilda ruficauda.

The only other noteworthy birds were, Mr. H. B. Smith’s

Rufous-backed Mannikins ( Spermestes nigriceps ), and the female

Australian Crimson-finch ( Neochmia phaetcni), and pair of

Magpie Mannikins ( Amauresthes fringilloides ) all belonging to

Mr. Fulljames.


Class hi (any species of Cardinal — including the

Virginian Cardinal). Last )^ear these mustered over 20, this

3^ear there were only 9. Three entries consisted of Green

Cardinals, three of Red-crested Cardinals, and two of Virginian

Cardinals. The remaining entry was a very rare bird, unfortu¬

nately shown in a ver} r dark cage, where it no doubt passed,

with ninety-nine out of a hundred of the visitors to the show, as

a hen Cardinal. I myself took it for a hen Virginian until the

peculiar shape of the beak was pointed out to me. I believe

the bird to be Pyrrhuloxia sinuata, the head of which species

is figured by Dr. Bowdler Sharpe. It is a pity that the fine

Virginian which gained the second prize should have been

exhibited in such a very small cage.



