22 
Tlie lieii fed freelv iinoii this diet and I started liaiui-feediii;; with my own 
special soft food iiiixlme, ground very fine and moistened to a pnlu. For 
seven days the Cowhird tluove and was getting loo big for the Canary 
to cover, and my liopes ran high of successfully rearing it, when they were 
ruthlessly shattered, for when going into the aviary eai ly on the morning 
of the eighth day, 1 was grieved to find the promising young Cowhird dead, 
or practically so, upon the floor of the cage. Possil)ly it had wriggled its 
way to the edge of the pan, overljalanced and fallen off, or probably the hen 
had dragged it off when leaving the nest. I tried my very best to revive 
the youngster, but to no purpose. 
I firmly believe that the Canary with mv help would have reared the 
bird, for a day or two later I should have taken the young one in hand my- 
self and reared it as one would a young Thrush. However, should I have 
the good fortune to have a similar event with anotlier nucommou species, I 
inteiul placing the egg or eggs in a nest of one of our English birds of as 
nearly the same habits, etc.. chancing my luck with them, taking the young 
birds when thev are nicely pen feathered, h'or instance, in a Thrushes' 
uest, and if'I had placed the Cowl)ird's egg in such, I am convinced the 
youngster would have been reaied. The incubation would have been all 
right, and the young alien would have had a plentitude of insect life, that 
great aid to the bringing up of young insectivorous birds. 
Both the Silky and Kuddy-shouldered Cowbirds sjjokeu of in these 
remarks have since passed into the hands of our esteemed member Mr. Hy. 
Willford, and I sincerely wish hini every luck, and hope to read from his 
pen in some near issue of our delightful Journal that he has been successful 
in rearing both species. I should say the male Silky was an incessant 
songster, and to nie at any rale his notes were rather pleasing. 
Jforcion BiiDs at the Cuvstal palace. 
The T,ou<lou and Provincial Ornithological Society held their Jubilee 
Exhibition of Cage-birds at the Crystal Palace from February 5th to 9th 
inclusive. The exhibition was well managed and the entry covering the 
whple was a record one, but, much as I would have liked to have noted some 
of the uncommon British Birds, the time at my disposal will only permit of 
a very hurried review of the more notable Foreign F;,xhibits. Mr. H. T. T. 
Camps judged the Parrot Classes, and I\Ir. Russell Humphries the remainder. 
The collection of Foreign Birds was an exceedingly beautiful and rare one, 
and it will facilitate matters perhaps if we review them in catalogue order. 
BuDGKKiGAk.s, I.oviCBiRDS, KTC. Here were gathered together no less 
than five pairs of the beautiful and till recently raie Black-cheeked hove- 
\nrd& (Agdpiirriis iiigrigenis) ; there a ppears to be every probability that this 
species will breed as freely as Budgerigars, for several pairs have been laying 
