A VALUABLE BIRD.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 71, 26 March 1910, Page 15

A VALUABLE BIRD.

RARITIES AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE. Any one who fancies an expensive bird can gratify his tast? by an outlay of £1500 in the puirha.«e of a rare specimen of Huuftiiin's magnificent Bird of Paradise (said a London journal on sth February). This beautiful creature is one of the rarities at the Cage Bird Show in the Crystal Palace, oiganisoil by tho London juid Provincial Ornithological Society. It in the ptoperty of Mr. O. Millsum, of Swindon. Raid though the Hunslein is, Mr. MilUHim is in the happy position of posbesxing a bird still more rare. This is n "Stella Lory" from New Guinea, which won the Abrahams trophy for the ltirest bird in the show. ' These b'rds are me in a natural wajr, but there are others that rain the distinction of rarity because they are freaks of nature. There is, for instance, a pure white canary, which has been previously a visitor to the «Uiow, and earned a first prize on account of the beauty of its plumage. There is also a black goldfinch, a dainty little creature. It i» very rare, and the oldest bird fancier at the Palace cannot remember having seen one before. It wiyi commended by the judges. Amongst albino birds, ther« were many interesting curiosities, such as a silver starling, a while reed bunting, and several White sparrows. In a secluded corner of the show there is a fino collection of "roller" canaries which are judged entirely for their powars of song and regardless of shape or plumage. They are highly educated biros, and ore taught to sing by means of a small water-organ, whose notes they imitate. Some of these birds have been sent direct from the Hartz Mountains, which is their original home, although they are now being somewhat extensively bred in England. There arc nearly 3000 birds in the rhow, a total which is 200 over tlu> average.