oil Foreign Birds at the Dece 7 nber Bird-Show. 103


The Weaver Class contained a specimen of the rare Ploceus

megarhy?ichzis, sent by Mr. E. W. Harper.


In the Class for the rarer Waxbills and Grassfinches, Mr.

L. W. Hawkins, as usual, showed the best birds, amongst which

may be mentioned a Vinaceous or Masked Fire-finch (. Lagonos -

ticta vinacea or L. laruata .),* a Spotted Fire-finch (L. rufopicta'),

and a pair of Black-rumped Finches ( Stictoptera annulosct). Mr.

Osbaldeston sent a pair of Parrot-finches ( Erythrura psittacea),

and a fine Crimson-finch (. Neochmia phaeto 7 i). There were several

pairs of Masked, Tong - tailed, Rufous - tailed, and Gouldian-

finches.


Messrs. Thwaites and Lloyd sent their Indian Crested

Bunting ( Melophus melaiiicterus ), and Mr. Boswell Frostick a fine

pair of Desert Trumpeter Bullfinches (.Erythrospiza githagined).


The Class for Tanagers, Sugar-birds, and Zosterops was

well filled, the most notable birds being a Magpie Tanager

(Cissopis leveriana ) sent by Mr. Theobald, a Tri-colour (Calliste

tricolor ), a Yellow (C. flava ), and another which nobody seems

to be able to identify, f shown by Mr. Townsend. Mr.

Osbaldeston sent a Blue and Black Tanager, Mr. Swan a White-

capped Tanager. Two Blue Sugar-birds (Dac?iis caya?ia), acock

and hen, sent by Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Swan respectively.


The Class for Crows, Pies, Starlings, etc., contained a

Bobolink, a Hunting Cissa, Purple-headed and Green Glossy

Starlings, an Andaman Starling, and a fine pair of Blue-bearded

Jays.


The Class for Hybrids consisted of three exhibits, the

only birds worthy of note being a very interesting pair of hybrid

Parrakeets, bred from a Redrump and a Rosella. They were

exceedingly beautiful birds, showing much more of the Redrump



* I am not certain which species this is, but I may state that these little Fire-

finches are more often imported than is generally supposed; I once picked out six from

a lot of common Firefinches in a dealer’s shop. A lieu of this species was shown by

Mr. Franz as a hen “Australian Fire-finch.”


t This bird is the same that appeared at the October Show, which, in my notes in

this journal last mouth I said looked like Tanagra palmarum. In the much better

light at the recent Show however, it was evident that it did not belong to this species,

and I think it is more likely to prove to be either T. cana or T. cyanoptera.



