46 



BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



Buckinghamshire makes a first appearance in 

 the Competition this year, and in point of numbers 

 the contest is a somewhat light and unsatisfactory 

 one. Not so, however, with the quality of the 

 essays sent in. which are well up to the level of 

 the more experienced counties, and warrant the 

 expectation that " leafy Bucks " will turn out to be 

 a stronghold of young naturalists. Stony Strat- 

 ford wins the Shield by the uniform care and 

 accuracy displayed in the papers, especially those 

 on trees. Ellesborough's eager and enthusiastic 

 work, however, pressed the winner closely ; their 

 essays are obviously the result of constant note- 

 taking, and if all had been as good as the admir- 

 able ones on Swallow, Elm, and Maple, they would 

 certainly have carried off the trophy. Ched- 

 dington, with some delightfully fresh and quaint 

 touches, is an excellent third. Princes Risborough 

 and Taplow make a promising beginning ; at the 

 former school some twenty scholars joined in the 

 study, so that they ought to produce a prize- 

 winning team after a year or two's practice. Taplow 

 School shows a commendable amount of observa- 

 tion that well deserves encouragement. 



CUMBERLAND. 



Challenge Shield : Greystoke School. Cer- 

 tificate of Excellence ; Kirkoswald School. Com- 

 mended: St. John's (Girls'), Keswick, Borrowdule, 

 Cargo. 



The two schools which lead the way have both 

 chosen good bird subjects. Greystoke selects the 

 Spotted Woodpecker, Lapwing, and Wagtail, 

 writing almost entirely from personal observation, 

 and having in the main observed very carefully. 

 Kirkoswald, losing their last year's head by a very 

 short space, take the Corncrake, Moorhen, and 

 Wren, and send in capital papers on these and on 

 their chosen Trees. A pleasant freshness charac- 

 terises the essays from Keswick, and carefully-kept 

 note-books will do wonders to increase knowledge 

 at present limited, for the necessary intelligence 

 is there. The Borrowdale team also display con- 

 siderable originality, and their tree essays are 

 very nicely written ; they have not yet learned to 

 discriminate between House-Sparrow and Hedge- 

 Sparrow, accusing the insectivorous little Shuffle- 

 wing of devouring the corn. Of the Cargo essays 

 perhaps the best is that by the youngest competitor 

 in the county, a boy of nine, because he writes in 

 his own naive way, but all the papers have much 

 to recommend them. 



Cumberland's competition is below par in point 



of numbers, and next year there should be more 

 candidates for Canon Rawnsley's beautiful Shield. 



HAMPSHIRE. 



Challenge Shield : Boys' National School, 

 Sandown, I.W. Second Piize: Privett School 

 and Sandown Girls' School, equal. Third Prize : 

 Havant School. Certificates of Excellence : 

 Bitterne Boys' School ; Laverstoke School ; 

 Western (Southampton) Boys' School. Highly 

 Commended : Bishopstoke Boys' School ; Boldre ; 

 St. Peter's, Bournemouth (Girls') ; Headley ; Pen- 

 nington. Commended : Awbridge, Barton Stacey, 

 Bishopstoke Girls', Hinton Ampner, Kingsley, 

 Meonstoke, Romsey, Tadley, Western (South- 

 ampton) Boys' junior team, Wickham. 



In Hampshire the Competition was, as usual, 

 very keen, and a great 'quantity of excellent work 

 was sent in, making the task of the judges an 

 extremely difficult one. The Shield goes this year 

 to the Isle of Wight (at present included in the 

 county for the Competition), where Sandown 

 School, both Boys and Girls, has done exceptionally 

 well ; but the difference between these teams and 

 Privett, and between the two teams themselves, 

 is so slight that all the essays had to be 

 examined very closely before a decision could 

 be arrived at. The bird papers by the Sandown 

 boys are full of keen personal observation ; their 

 trees are no better than those by the Privett team, 

 who chose more uncommon subjects and write 

 charmingly about them. The Sandown girls also 

 write remarkably well on trees, though their birds 

 are a little less successful. Havant gets the third 

 prize by dint of full, accurate, and painstaking com- 

 positions, inspired by careful teaching but behind 

 the leading three teams in originality. The 

 Bitterne boys again send in exceedingly good 

 work ; admirable tree papers in particular come 

 from the Western District school, and Laverstoke 

 must be specially commended for the bright and 

 pleasant style in which the papers are written. The 

 girls of St. Peter's, Bournemouth, have a pretty 

 facility of thought and pen, and their tree essays are 

 admirable ; but those on birds are spoilt by the 

 attempt to write little autobiographical stories. 

 Headley team display many pretty touches and an 

 ardent friendship for their feathered neighbours. 

 The Bishopstoke boys, Boldre, and Pennington all 

 evidence considerable ability. The commended 

 are not named in order of merit ; and space forbids 

 detailed comment ; but while some display more 

 knowledge and mastery of their subjects, a special 

 word of encouragement is invited by the freshness 



