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The Bird Shore at the Horticultural Hall.



Watts got h.c. Mr. A. Ezra exhibited a charming pair of Vinaceous

Fire-Finches.


Grassfinches, Whydahs, etc. numbered fourteen. First prize

going' to Mr. S. Beaty’s Golden-backed Whydah; second to Mr.

C. H. Bow’s Fire-tailed Finches (pair) ; third to Mr. C. T. Maxwell’s

Tri-colour Parrot Finch ; fourth to his Peal’s Parrot Finch, while

several well-known species also figured in the series.


The true Finches, Buntings, etc. also numbered fourteen, and

first prize went to Mr. A. Ezra’s rare and sleek Chilian Siskin, the

first I ever saw alive; second to Mr. Hawkins’s Kainbow Bunting ;

third to Mr. Ezra’s Sepoy Finch (which had, as usual, turned bright

yellow in captivity); fourth to Mr. Maxwell’s Bainbow Bunting, and

v.h.c. to Mrs. Ethel Greene’s South (?) “African ” Siskins. The

class also included Quail, Cuba and Green Singing Finches and a

pair of Japanese Hawfinches.


The class for named Tanagers only numbered six, four of

them being Calliste tricolor : the other two fastuoscc. First prize,

as usual, going to our redoubtable friend, Mr. S. M. Townsend, with

his only exhibit in this class, a Tricolor.


The class for the rare Tanagers numbered eleven. First prize

going to Mr. Maxwell’s unique Bed and Black Tanager, which is not

yet in show condition ; this was the first living one I had seen.

Fourth to his Necklace Tanagers. Fady Kathleen Pilkington showed

four birds, the now well-known Blue and Black Tanager—the only

living one I ever saw,—a Black-backed, Festive and Pectoral. Mr.

A. Ezra showed a pair of the rare Black-backed Tanagers ( Calliste

melanonota), Miss Bousfield a White-capped Tanager and Mr. Towns¬

end a charming specimen of the uncommon Yellow Tanager.


The Sugar Birds, Sun Birds, etc., as usual had the most

interesting and beautiful birds in the show. Foremost of all was

the Amethyst-rumped Sun Bird ( Cinnyris zeylonica ) of Mr, Ezra’s,

a bird that, as a living gem, might grace the palace of an Emperor.

Mr. Maxwell’s pair of Purple Sugar-birds came next; third to Mr.

S. M. Townsend’s Black-legged Blue Sugar-bird,—a rare thing in

collections of skins and the only one I ever saw alive—in perfect

condition; fourth prize went to the Hon. Airs. Bourke’s Purple Sugar-

bird. Mr. Maxwell showed a Banana Quit ( Certhiola luteola I



