150 Foreign Birds at the Crystal Palace.


of Quail-finches. A pair of Black-headed Siskins was exhibited

by Mr. E. Green under the name of " South American Canaries,"

and a single specimen of the same species was sent by Mrs. C.

Cooper.


The class for Tanagers contained some grand birds, but

the judging appeared to have been carried out by some extra-

ordinary method of which the Judge himself only knew the

secret. By far the best bird in the class was Mr. Townseud's

Black-backed Tanager, but it had to give place (according to the

Judge's method of awarding honours) to a Yellow-winged Sugar-

bird belonging to the same owner. This Sugar-bird was a nice

specimen, but in no better, if as good condition, as the Tanager,

and for rarity it is " not in the same street." I am told that this

Sugar-bird also won the Abrahams' Memorial Trophy, which is

awarded for the best foreign bird in the show — another sample of

peculiar judging. One of the best birds in this class was a

magnificent Magpie Tanager shown by Mr. J. H. Harrison, an

exhibitor who was by no means well treated by the Judge,

though he had some extremely good birds.


Mr. Harrison obtained the first prize in the next class,

which was a mixed one for everything not included elsewhere.

His fine pair of Silver-eared Mesias being easy winners of

the first place. The second prize went to a Touracou, a

nice bird but not in first rate condition, which description also

applies to the third prize winner, a Green-billed Toucan. Mr.

Townsend's Metallic Starling {Calornis metallica) obtained fourth

prize. There were other birds in this class which deserved

more than they got, namely Mr. Harrison's White - throated

Ground-Thrush (v.h.c), Mr, Dewhurst's Coley (v.h.c), Mr.

Frostick's Japanese Tits (h.c), and Mr. Cook's Golden-crowned

Troupial.


In the class for foreign hybrids Mr. Hawkins obtained first

prize with a so-called Red-mantled Parrakeet (see Vol. IV. p. 132),

and a pair of hybrid American Sparrows, sent by Mr. Seth-

Sruith, bred between Zonotrichia lezuophrys and Z. pileata (Vol.

III., p. 331) were awarded second prize. Third, a Redrump and

Mealy Rosella hybrid belonging to Mrs. Cooper. The last-

named exhibitor also obtained the fourth prize with a hybrid



