14



My next class was the Greys. Here I had but five birds

before me—506 was absent. The 1st prize was won by Mrs.

Peacock, with a fine bird in irreproachable condition and bloom.

I know something of Grey Parrots, and I have never seen one

better shown, perhaps never so well. Had Mrs. Peacock been a

member of the Teague, she would have taken the prize for the

best-conditioned Parrot in the Show. It was entered as a cock :

it has the build of a hen.


Amazons—my next class—naturally provide more variety.

There were seven birds before me, one was absent. First went to

513—a Festive belonging to Mr. Maxwell, which was very well

shown : 2nd to an inornata of Mr. H. B. Smith ; 3rd to one

entered as “ Spectacled.” “Spectacled,” Russ gives as a term

for the White - browed. This bird almost looked to me like

a young xantholora ; 4th to a well-shown ochrocephala. The

remaining birds were Blue-fronted, and were not in specially

good plumage.


Class 43, for Eclectics Parrots, was poor ; there was only

one well shown. The only remarks I have to make are that all

four birds were cocks, and the second prize belonged to a

smaller species.


Perhaps my most interesting class was 44 : here I had

nine entries and no absentees. I was rather doubtful between

the Meyer and the Bronze-wing for first place. But the Bronze¬

wing did not show himself well, owing to his cage, and so I gave

it to the Meyer. The Bronze-wing, who a little later pulled

himself together, was good enough for 1st. The Hawk-head to

which I gave 3rd, was in brilliant health, but not quite through

his moult; had he been, I will not say he might not have been

first. A lineolatus, for the same reason—that he was not through

his moult—got only H. C. There were three, of what I put

down as menstruus. Two of these may have been in immature

plumage, or they may have been of some species of Pionus

unknown to me ; they were in poor plumage (c).


I now come to Macaws—here there were five. First went

to Mr. Fulljames’ Hyacinthine, beautifully shown ; 2nd to a

Crimson and Green of Mr. Smith’s, too much hidden by its cage ;

3rd was a Blue and Yellow, and 4th an Illiger’s. There was also

Mr. Fulljames’ Spix, the rarest bird in my classes—but in such

indifferent plumage I could not even give it a card.


Class 46, for Lemon-crested Cockatoos, was cancelled, and

with Class 47, for Salmon-crests, Leadbeaters, etc., my labours


(t) Mr. Fulljames showed a Pionus senilis, but when I was judging" it looked rather

rough. — F. G. I).



