BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



Yorkshire, West Riding, January 29th, 1906. 

 B C D E F. Identical with the Order of 1904, 

 but prohibits the taking of Lapwing's eggs after 

 April 1st instead of after May 1st. 



DUBLIN (County;, December 21st, 1905, and 

 January 13th, igo5. E C. (1) Protects the eggs 

 of certain birds from March 1st to August 1st 

 throughout the county, including the islands of 

 Lambay and Ireland's Eye, for four years. 

 2) Extends the Close Time to December 1st for 

 Goldfinch, Sealark, Tern, Linnet, Bullfinch, Sky- 

 lark, Siskin, and Redpoll. 



MAYO, February 15th, 1906. E. Protects the 

 eggs of certain species for five years. 



Wexford, December 2i st, 1905. E. Protects 

 eggs of all wild birds from March 1st to August 1st 

 throughout the Saltee and Keeragh Islands for 

 five years. 



Wick low, February 5th, 1906. C. Extends 

 the Close Time to December 1st for Goldfinch, 

 Sealark, Tern, Linnet, Bullfinch, Skylark, Siskin, 

 and Redpoll. 



COUNTRY SCHOOLS A.ND BIRD 

 PROTECTION. 

 BIRD Protection in the School was among the 

 subjects discussed at the autumn Conference in 

 connexion with the Royal Society for the Protec- 

 tion of Birds ; and Sir George Kekewich, M.P., 

 who was prevented from attending, contributes to 

 BIRD NOTES and News his view of the position : 



•• In my view the best field for the propagation 

 of Bird Protection is the conversion to humanity 

 of the agricultural boy, whether he be the son of 

 farmer or labourer. You can only effect that 

 conversion in two ways, either through the parent 

 or through the teacher. The parent is hopeless : 

 as a rule he has been brought up to see an enemy 

 to agriculture or horticulture in every small bird ; 

 he cannot distinguish between birds harmful and 

 birds beneficial, and he is not likely to change his 

 view. So you must turn to the teachers and trust 

 to them that the new generation may be better 

 educated both in knowledge and humanity. 



" So far as is possible the teachers in Elementary 

 Schools should be made acquainted with the pro- 

 paganda and proceedings of the Society, and 

 induced to join it. Knowing the teachers well, 

 and knowing the intense interest they take in the 

 children, and their earnest desire to elevate the 

 character as well as improve the intelligence of 

 their scholars, I believe that very many would join 

 the Society, if only they were approached, and 

 would do their best to discourage the robbing of 

 nests, the stoning and trapping of birds, and the 

 horrible torture of the lower animals, which are so 

 common yet among schoolboys and even school- 



girls. I have long advocated School excursions, 

 etc., as a means of teaching Nature knowledge. 



"Nature knowledge, even in country schools 

 (where, indeed, alone it can be effectively taught) 

 is often regarded as comprising only knowledge of 

 plant life and physical phenomena. It ought to 

 include also a knowledge of the habits and uses 

 of birds, and the distinguishing characteristics 

 of the different species. This kind of Nature 

 knowledge, like the rest of that subject, can be 

 taught effectively in no other place than in the 

 fields and woods. We need, therefore, a great 

 development of the " School walk " or " School 

 excursion " system. I should like to see the 

 system carried out for the boys and girls in winter 

 as well as in summer. 



" Enlist the teacher ; he has more power for 

 good than the landed proprietor or the squire, and 

 his power extends over a wider area, for every boy 

 in that area can be affected by his teaching. Not 

 only men but women Teachers also, of course. 

 They are equally helpful.'' 



BIRD AND TREE DAY FESTIVALS. 



Bird and Tree Festivals have been widely- 

 celebrated during the past few months in the 

 counties comprised in the Society's Bird and Tree 

 Competition scheme, the character of the festivities 

 varying from important gatherings and memorable 

 speeches to mark the presentation of Challenge 

 Shields to simple schoolroom meetings for the 

 giving of " consolation : ' awards. The Society gave 

 packets of suitable little books, such as ( iowan's 

 Nature Books, the "Eyes and Xo Eyes" series, 

 and the " I go a-walking" series, to the team-, of 

 each school arranging a festival, together with 

 a book of higher value for the school library. 

 The full aim of the Council will not be realized 

 until every school in each county joins in the 

 scheme, and every parish or village has its 

 Bird and Tree Day ; but before this happy state of 

 things is reached it will be necessary to have not 

 only the full warrant of the Education authorities, 

 who already give their cordial approval, but also 

 the more generous support of local residents, who 

 in some districts refrain, to a disappointing extent, 

 from helping the nature studies and the Bird and 

 Tree/ivV.v of their young neighbours. 



In addition to tree-planting, or in place of it 

 where, for some reason or other, that cannot form 

 part of the programme, the methods of celebrating 

 the day have included school concerts, entertain- 



