Down the Decades: the 1900s

THE CRYSTAL PALACE DISQUALIFICATION

A SPECIAL Committee Meeting was held by the London & Provincial Ornithological Society, to consider the disqualification of Mr Browning’s Mule at the late Great National Cage Bird Show, the case having been specially referred to them by the mule judge, Mr J. Dewar.

Mr Browning’s defence was that the bird was honestly shown, and that if there were any feathers missing they had either come out in the wash unnoticed, or had been knocked out in transit. Mr Dewar reported that he was of the opinion that the bird was honestly shown and he only disqualified on protest for feathers missing in wing and not on saddle as had been stated. As a suggestion had been made that this bird was really an even mark manipulated into a variegated bird, the Secretary reported that he had paid a visit to Mr Browning to see his birds and found the bird in question dead.

Mr Browning had promised to send the bird when stuffed for the Committee’s inspection, also the live even-marked bird. The matter was gone into very carefully by the committee, and they were unanimously of opinion there was no fraud in showing a