go



were a Lapwing and a Sandpiper, neither of which received a

card of any description. Not being included in the N. B. B. and

M. C. List, these two species, which are as truly British as any

birds in the Show, have to go into a class for Continental birds,

where the hard-hearted Judge will have nothing to do with them.

They were in fine condition, and a great addition to the interest

of the exhibition ; surely their owner should have received some

encouragement. Mr. Russell Humphrys sent a Barred Warbler

(Sylvia nisoriaj but it was sadly out of condition, although a

very interesting exhibit. D. Seth-Smith.



FOREIGN BIRDS (other than parrots).


Whydahs, Weavers, and Comb a sous. This was not a very

interesting class—it seldom is at a February Show. There were

several specimens of the Long-tailed Whydah, one Red-collared

Wliydah, and Mr. Fulljames’ celebrated Resplendent Whydah,

now out of colour—also several commoner species. The first

prize went to the Red-collared.


Common Waxbills. This class was better filled than at

the Odtober Show, but the quality was poor. The first prize was

awarded to a pair of Avadavats—the male was very bright, but

they were not in the very best condition and appeared to be

newly-imported. The second and fourth prizes were awarded

to Golden-breasted Waxbills, and the third to Avadavats. Oddly

enough, the exhibits in these classes for common birds (in which

condition is the only merit) seem usually in much worse con¬

dition than those in the classes for rarer birds.


All other species of Waxbills. Here were fewer entries

than in October, but the class was a fairly good one. The

interest centred in Mr. Hawkins’ exhibits, which secured the

first and third prizes—a single cock being entered as Pytelia

melba (a) and two females or immature birds as Pytelia afra —

whether these three birds really belonged to two species I cannot

undertake to say. There were two female Violet-eared Waxbills,

Crimson Finches, Lavender Finches, Cordon Bleus, an Aurora

Finch, and one pair and a single specimen of the Rufous-tailed

Finch.


Gouldian Finches, Parrot Finches, & Pin-tailed Nonpareils.

Here was a good show of both varieties of Gouldian Finches and

the common Parrot Finch. There was one pair of Pin-tailed

Nonpareils, which received the fourth prize. A Bunting Non¬

pareil had got into this class by mistake. (By the way, this



(a) Zonogastris melba of the Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. — H. R. F.



