BIRD NOTES ^d NEWS. 



Circular fetter issueo Quarterly by the atonal Society far the 

 IJrotertimt of litres. 



Vol. II.— No. 4.] London : 3, Hanover Square, W. [DECEMBER 21, 1906. 



BIRD AND TREE (ARBOR) DAY. 



(See page 44.) 



The Society's County Challenge 

 Shield. 



»C>pR|Zfc'0 < 



MEDAt. 



The Socif:ty's Medal. 



The Silver County Challenge Shield goes to 

 the elementary school that sends in the best 

 Essays. 



The Medals are given, with book prizes, to 

 the members of the winning team, and also to 

 the two most diligent Nature students in every 

 competing team. The dies and medals are the 

 gift to the Society of Mr. Montagu Sharpe, 

 Chairman of the Council ; the beautiful design 

 is by Mr. Aubrey Hayward Jones, and the work 

 is finely executed by Mr. Harper Gaythorpe, of 

 Barrow-in-Furness. 



WINTER GUESTS. 



EEDING the birds in winter is one 

 of the first and most fascinating 

 forms of bird protection that sug- 

 gests itself. It costs, as a rule, 

 nothing or next to nothing, and it brings the 

 pleasurable reward of a crowd of pretty wild 

 creatures at window or door to be watched at 

 leisure. The surprising part of this kindly 

 benevolence is that so few of the would-be 

 benefactors give any consideration as to the 

 manner of doing it, and that the majority are 

 satisfied with the immemorial custom of throw- 

 ing out crumbs to Robin Redbreast. This has 

 received the benediction of children's poetry 

 ever since children's poetry-books were ; and it 

 seems to be a settled belief in the minds of 

 boys and girls that crumbs form part of the 

 normal and natural food of Robins. " The 

 Robin," say many of the little essayists in the 

 R.S.P.B. Bird and Tree Competitions, "feeds 

 on grubs and insects in summer and on crumbs in 

 winter " ; and they record unvaryingly the same 

 benevolence to Blackbirds and Thrushes. 



Now Robins and crumbs on the window- 



