The Audubon Societies 387 



tied country, and the opportunity of helping to awaken interest in the study of birds 

 and nature. In the case of the Connecticut Warbler, it may be remembered that it 

 migrates north through the Mississippi valley to its nesting-haunts "in the cold, boggy 

 tamarack swamps of Manitoba," returning along the Atlantic coast in the fall to its 

 winter home in northern South America. By consulting a geography it will be seen 

 that Alberta extends well to the west of Manitoba, in fact, it would seem as though a 

 record of this Warbler in Alberta ought to be classed as casual. There is so much to 

 learn, however, regarding the distribution of many species that it may be found that 

 the Connecticut Warbler has a more e.xtensive range then is at present known. 



In thinking over possibilities of cooperation with teachers and pupils in the far 

 Northwest, why would it not be admirable to open a regular correspondence with some 

 of the schools, in this way, creating interest not onlj^ there but also, here? Anyone 

 desiring to do this might communicate with ^Ir. Stansell directly. — A. H. W.] 



REPORT OF A BIRD CONTEST IN MISSOURI 



The Chairman of the Nature Department of the Council of the Parish 

 Teachers' Association of Springfield, Missouri, has sent in the following papers 

 which received first-grade marks according to the decision of Mr. Otto 

 Widmann, of St. Louis, to whom all papers sent in by contestants from 

 the various schools concerned were submitted. The Chairman writes: "We 

 have started a good work, I believe, and intend to follow it up this year by 

 having a bird-house building contest for which we shall offer prizes. As the girls 

 do not have manual training in the schools, we are to have a sewing contest for 

 them. I am working to see if we cannot have a Martin-house erected in every 

 schoolyard in the city, but it is too early to say how successful I may be." 



The best first-grade paper was written by Arthur Hale, age 6, of the Boyd school. 

 His subject was, 'A Bath in Winter.' The essay follows: 



During the holidays I put a pan of water out-of-doors when ice was over everything. 

 I watched from the window and saw a bird taking a bath in it. The bird was an English 

 Sparrow. 



'Meadowlark,' by Henry Goddard, age 8, second grade of Pickwick school: 



One day last spring a little boy found a Meadowlark's nest near the schoolyard. 

 All of us children went to see it. The mother bird found some tall grass and made a 

 nest. In a few days we went back; there we found four eggs with brown spots on them. 

 From the windows we would watch the Meadowlarks find worms and bugs in our 

 school-garden. 



Sometimes they would stand real still; then they would run so fast; then we could 

 see them pick up something to eat. Every day we would visit the nest. 



One Sunday a dreadful thing happened. Some boys found the nest, took the eggs 

 and threw them on a stone and broke them. Then they destroyed the nest. The next 

 morning we found the little dead birds. We children were so sorry. 



'The Sparrow,' by Marjorie Brady, age 9, third grade, Boyd school: 



One cold morning this winter when the snow was on the ground, we heard a sweet 

 little bird singing under the eaves. My mother said it was a Sparrow and, although I 

 have always heard that the Sparrow is a troublesome bird and does much mischief, I 

 think it is very dear of him to stay with us and be so cheerful through the cold wintry 

 days. I am sure we would miss him very much if he were to leave. 



