both sexes began to play with it; but at the time of writing this

note, no attempt has been made at the serious preparation of a

nest.


The male bird, Mr. Grant tells me, sings like our British

bird, and this I can quite believe ; for, in the second week in May,

he began to record his song precisely in the fashion of Fringilla

ccelebs ; and now I am looking forward to hearing him sing, as I

wish to discover whether his performance will be more like the

Kentish or Essex vocalist of our country. The call-note is not

like that of F. ccelebs : it is more musical, not so shrill, and is

rapidly repeated four or five times in succession.


Speaking of Chaffinches, it may interest our members to

know that I have divided a clutch of five English Chaffinch eggs

between two hen Canaries; and, should they rear them, next

year I hope to pair the birds with Canaries, in order to breed the

so-called impossible mule.



THE BIRD SHOW AT BRIGHTON.


By H. R Firmer.


To Mr. Housden belongs the credit of first providing a

Bird Show as an attraction to a Bazaar, and he has sent his

birds to many Bazaars in aid of charities in which he is

interested. But Mr. Housdeu’s exhibitions have been “ Eoan

Collections,” and not Bird Shows proper, the element of compe¬

tition being absent ; so that I think it may be fairly claimed that

the Show of British and Foreign Birds which was held in the

Royal Pavilion, Brighton, on the 2nd, 4th and 5th of May, 1896,

in connection with a Bazaar in aid of the Building Fund of St.

Augustine’s Church, Preston Park, Brighton, was the first

Exhibition of its kind which has ever been held.


The available space at the Pavilion is limited, therefore

only two rooms could be spared for the Show; so that a very

large Show was out of the question. I11 order to restrict the

number of exhibits, it was decided to accept entries only from

members of the Avicultural Society and their friends and from

residents in the immediate neighbourhood. The result was that

their were only 243 entries, but these were quite as many as

could be properly shown in the space available. The British

Birds, Mules, and Canaries were judged by Mr. J. H. Verrall;

and the Foreign Birds by Dr. C. S. Simpson. Messrs. J. Hills,

A. F. Hudson, D. Seth-Smith, J. Storey, and W. Swaysland

acted as Stewards, and to their most efficient help the success of

the Show w r as entirely due. Where all worked so well it seems



