British and Foreign Birds at Edinburgh. 121


In the class for Parrakeets, the first prize was awarded to

a bird described in the catalogue as an “Adelaide.” which it

certainly was not. The species it most resembled was the Tas¬

manian or Yellow-bellied Parrakeet ( Plalycercus flavivenIris')

(“Parrakeets,” p. 164), but it differed from that in having a sub¬

dued yellow collar and having broken red on the breast. I set

it down at the first glance as a hybrid, and have no doubt in my

own mind that it was a cross between a Barnard’s Parrakeet and a

Rosella. This bird was placed in front of Miss Peddie Waddell’s

beautiful pair of Black-tailed or Rock Peplar Parrakeets (Polytelis

melanura ), the male of which had an outer tail-feather rather out

of place and chafed, at the time of judging. This pair of birds

was otherwise perfect and in very sleek condition — the best

specimens of the species I ever saw. Miss Peddie Waddell also

showed a Malaccan Parrakeet (Palceornis longicatida ) a male in

perfect condition and very tame. Other birds in the class were

Pennants, Blood-rumps, King Parrakeet, Black-cheeked and

Peach-faced Rove-birds and a Blue Mountain Lorikeet.


The class for the short-tailed Parrots only contained three

birds. The first, a Ceram or Red Lory, a very good bird ; a

Senegal Parrot and a Blue-fronted Amazon.


The Waxbill, etc. class, was, as usual, remarkable rather

for the pink of condition in which the birds were, than for any

rarity of the species. The first prize going to a pair of the

charming Orange-breasted or Golden-breasted Waxbills. The

other seed-eating birds included the Melba Finch (the bright¬

ness of whose colouring cannot be indicated in a black-and-

white drawing), a Green Cardinal (which seemed to me to be

colour-fed), Cuban and Bicheno Finches, Crimson Finch, “ rufi-

cauda" Finches ( Bathilda ) and a Paradise Whydah—a very good

bird, well staged.


Amongst the Tanagers, etc., the gems of the class were a

Yellow-winged Sugar-bird ; while an exquisite Black-throated

Tanager, a Maroon, and a Tricolor were exhibited by Mr. J. M.

Walsh. One of the most interesting was Miss Peddie Waddell’s

Blue-winged Fruitsucker.


My own thanks are due to the courteous officials of the

show—Mr. Craig, the Manager, Mr. Watson, the Secretary, and



