§7



THE CRYSTAL PALACE SHOW OF 1899.


BRITISH BIRDS.


So far as numbers were concerned, the British Birds at

the recent Palace Show were well up to the mark, and the task

of judging can have been no easy one. There was, however,

nothing particularly rare, or of very special interest.


The Bullfinch class contained no less than seventy-four

entries : a truly grand array of crimson-breasts, but a most

difficult class to judge. The bird that received the first prize

was by far the largest British Bullfinch I have seen, if, indeed, it

was a genuine John Bull, which some sceptical visitors to the

Show were half inclined to doubt. The second prize winner was

a truly lovely specimen, and so, in fact, were many in this

class, in which seven prizes were given.


Excellent as were the Bullfinches, both in quality and

number, the Goldfinches were even better. No less than eighty-

two specimens were exhibited, and seven prizes were given.

Mr. Job Williams is the owner of the first-prize winner, and he

may be congratulated on possessing one of the most perfect

Goldfinches that is ever likely to grace the Show-bench. The

second in order of merit ran the first decidedly close, but there

could be no question as to which was the best bird of the two.


There was nothing to call for special remark about the

Chaffinches. The best bird was No. 1,488, belonging to Mr.

Mclnroy, which I believe received the first prize, although, by

some mistake, it was marked V. H. C. in the Catalogue.


Einnets formed a good class, numbering no less than

sixty-nine specimens. The first-prize winner, belonging to Mr.

H. D. Hart, was a beautifully-shaped bird.


There were twenty-four entries in the class for Lesser

Redpolls and Twites. A very nice Twite, belonging to Mr.

Lowne, received the first prize. Siskins numbered thirty-one

entries, amongst which were some very beautiful birds, many of

which were, however, colour-fed. Mr. Frostick’s exhibit, which

received the first prize, was perhaps slightly the best bird,

although several others ran it remarkably close.


Next came the class for “Any other variety of Resident

Finch,” which was chiefly composed of Hawfinches and Yellow-

hammers; there were, however, also a few other nice birds,

notably one or two Cirl-buntings, a Reed-bunting, and a Snow¬

bunting, which can scarcely be called a resident. There were

also two or three Greenfinches, a Corn-bunting, and two House



