174



Sti'ay Notes.



The next class was intended to embrace any species not elsewhere

provided for, and contained an interesting assortment. Two birds that I

do not remember to have seen before at a Palace show were the Boat-tailed

Hangnest (Aphobus chopi) shown by Mr. W. H. Herniman (third prize), and

Mr. Townsend’s Metallic Starling (Calornis metallica). The latter bird was

entirely overlooked by the Judge. The first prize was awarded to a pair of

Silver-eared Mesias shown by Mr. Hawkins, some of the original and I

believe only consignment (of six specimens) that has ever reached this

country alive. They look a little less brilliant than they did some years

ago. The second prize went to Mr. Hawkins’ White - throated Ground-

Thrush, and the third to a fine Rufous-bellied Niltava exhibited by Mr. J.

Dewhurst. I understand that this is not the same specimen that one has

seen on more than one occasion at the Palace and which was figured in

this journal. It is probably the second example of this exquisite fly¬

catcher to reach this country.


The last class that concerns us here was devoted to foreign Hybrids

and contained only five entries. The first prize went to the result of a

cross between a Red-rumped Parrakeet and Mealy Rosella, the second to a

Biclieno-Zebra-finch, the third to a hybrid between Barnard’s and the

Yellow-naped Parrakeet, a bird which looked extremely like an ordinary

Barnard, but upon closer examination it was easy to detect the parentage of

both species, the green on the back was that of the Yellow-naped, and the

yellow on the underparts extended to the abdomen as in the latter species

instead of forming a band across the breast as in Barnard’s Parrakeet. The

fourth prize went to a bird described as a cross between the St. Helena

Seed-Eater and Grey Singing finch, but it was quite evident that an Alario

Finch was one of the parents, the other may have been a St. Helena Seed-

Eater. Mr. Fillmer showed a Silverbill-Bengalese hybrid which showed

practically no relationship to the Bengalese, though the Silverbill was very

evident indeed. D. S.-S.



STRAY NOTES.



A bird, at first believed to be a hybrid between a Pheasant and a

Partridge, was recently shot near Bedford and described and figured in the

Field of January 27th last. Her Grace the Duchess of Bedford, however,

immediately recognised the illustration and description as applying to that

of the Bamboo Partridge (Barnbusicola thoracica), a species indigenous to

Southern China, which has been acclimatised at Woburn, where it has bred

for several years. I11 colouring it much resembles the Common Partridge,

but the tail is considerably longer, and it is furnished with spurs. The

species appears to have bred in the Zoological Gardens in 1S69.



An interesting experiment is being tried at the Zoological Gardens : a

pair each of Black Kites and Buzzards, from which a few of the primaries



