The Crystal Palace Bird Show.



141



In the aviary now they have become a little more con¬

fiding; I find them handsome and interesting, especially the

male with his courting gestures and actions, and the female with

her activity and vivacity.



THE CRYSTAL PALACE BIRD SHOW.


The Forty-sixth Annual Great National Show of Cage Birds was held

from January the 13th to 17th, and the Managers are to be congratulated

on a very interesting exhibition. Probably next year’s show will be better

still, for we understand that in the future the “Great National ” is to be the

only show held during the year at the Crystal Palace, whereas for some

years past there have been no less than three shows held each winter,

sometimes within a few weeks of one another, with the result that all have

been poor.


The class for hybrids between two British birds was an interesting

one, the most notable exhibits being three Bramblefinch-Chaffinch hybrids;

while the bird catalogued as a Lark-Yellowhammer was nothing more

curious than a Lapland Bunting, several specimens of which have been

taken recently on our East Coast.


A magnificent Waxwing, two Wrynecks, a Grasshopper Warbler, a

Pied Flycatcher, Green and Greater-spotted Woodpeckers, a Tree-creeper

and many other interesting birds were amongst the British exhibits, and

many of them bore ample testimony to the skill of their owners in keeping

the more difficult “softbills.”


But the foreign species probably appeal most to the readers of this

Magazine. In the class for Parrakeets Miss C. Rosa Little obtained the

first prize with a Varied Lorikeet (Ptilosclera versicolor), Mr. I,. W.

Hawkins came second with a Tui ( Brotogerys ini). Barnard’s, Bauer’s,

Kings and Crimson-wings were also on view, as well as a hybrid Redrump-

Rosella which was disqualified, a course which seemed rather hard con¬

sidering that there was no class provided for foreign hybrids and that these

add considerable attraction to the exhibition.


Mr. C. A. Edward’s now well known Black Cockatoo was conspicuous

in her class. In the class for Waxbills, Grassfinches etc. Mr. H. E. Peir’s

Yellow-rumped Finch ( Muniaflaviprymna) received the first prize and the

special for the rarest bird in the show. Mr. L. W. Hawkins showed a cock

Red-faced Finch (Zonogastris me/ba), Mr. Percy Peir a pair of Bathilda

rnficauda, Mr. Picard a very steady pair of Parrot Finches, and Mr.

Osbaldeston a fine cock Crimson Finch [Neochmiaphaeton).


Two Japanese Hawfinches were shown in the class for the True

Finches and Buntings, as well as both Cuba and Olive Finches and

Cardinals of four species.



