66



The L.C.B.A. Shotv.



entries, blit calls for no comment. I cannot see the use of such

a class, especially when, as hinted above, the abnormally-coloured

foreign birds badly need accommodation in a separate section.

Nor is it necessary to say anything here about the Selling class,

the exhibits being not rare, although in good condition.


The two classes for members of the L.C.B.A. only, how¬

ever, contained some good birds. In the Seed-eater class M.

Pauwels won first well with a lovely Dinemelli’s or White-

headed Weaver (.Dinemellia dinemelli ) a bird as big as a Song-

Thrush, white with black wings and tail and a rump vent which

should have been scarlet, but was orange. Among the soft-food

eaters the same gentleman showed one of the gems of the show,

a pair of fruit-pigeons of the genus Ptilopus, green with rich

yellow abdomen; a unique and beautiful exhibit well worthy

of the first prize they obtained, and a fit one with which to

conclude what I fear is a very imperfect notice of a veritable

festival of aviculture.



II. HYBRIDS AND BRITISH BIRDS.


By J. L. Bonhote.


The British Birds were as usual well represented at this

Show, and the glorious trim and condition of many of our

common birds must have convinced the most sceptic that our

country can, in its avifauna, show as beautiful an assortment as

many others more favoured from the climatic point of view.


We have not time or space to go into detail over the well-

filled classes of Bullfinches, Chaffinches, Linnets, Redpolls and

others, but must confine our notes chiefly to the rarer kinds. We

were sorry to notice that three Classes (Song Thrush, Wagtail,

A.O.V. Thrushes and Woodpeckers) had to be cancelled from

lack of entries. All these species make most satisfactory cage-

birds and, especially the Thrushes, are widely kept, and it is

disappointing to see that where such a good and liberal classifi¬

cation is offered fanciers do not support it.


The gem of the collection was undoubtedly Mr. Pauwels

fine pair of Wallcreepers, a species we do not remember to have

previously seen in confinement, and from their condition and

feather they certainly did credit to the owner and Mr. Milsum.



