BIBB NOTES ANB NEWS. 



all have the charm of unaffected interest in their 

 subjects. Kirkoswald, winners of the Shield in 

 1905, take it by virtue of greater accuracy ; much 

 pains has been taken to acquire information, and 

 it is very neatly presented. The Tree papers are 

 especially good. Greystoke, winners of the Shield 

 last year, also put their facts together compactly 

 and clearly, but need to fill out their papers with 

 further and closer observation. They pay more 

 attention than most teams to the songs of birds, a 

 point curiously neglected in general. St. John's 

 School, Keswick, comes noticeably to the fore by 

 sending in very good work from two teams, both 

 of girls. Possibly a higher place might have been 

 secured had the best essays from the two lots been 

 selected, but the school as a whole must have 

 benefited by the amount of attention thus given 

 to the subject. The Tree papers are much the 

 best, and are nicely illustrated ; in one Bird paper 

 time and space are badly employed in giving 

 directions on the rearing of caged Linnets : the 

 Bird and Tree Competitions have nothing to do 

 with either caged or stuffed birds. 



HAMPSHIRE. 



Challenge Shield : Privett School. Secona 

 Prize: Sandown (Girls) National School ; Sandown 

 (Boys). Third Prize : Havant Council School. 

 Certificates of Excellence : Headley ; Boldre ; 

 Laverstoke. Highly Commended : Bitterne Park 

 (Girls) ; Ridge, Romsey ; Farnborough ; St. Peter's, 

 Bournemouth (Girls); Hayling Island ; Awbridge : 

 Burghfield. Commended ■• Barton Stacey ; Bitterne 

 (Boys) ; Boldre Lane : Copythorne ; Kingsley ; 

 Hinton Ampner ; Western, Southampton ; 

 Wickham. 



Although the judging of the Hampshire Essays 

 was this year in entirely fresh hands, the four 

 Schools placed at the head in 1906 are again given 

 the leading places, while the whole Competition is 

 stronger and better than ever, and has produced 

 some astonishingly good work. Privett School 

 takes the proud position of best where so many are 

 good because of the originality and enthusiasm 

 shown in the essays, the children evidently going 

 about iheir outdoor study and voyages of discovery 

 with a zest that tells in every line. They needed 

 all their strength, however, to excel the Sandown 

 Girls' Team, who add to close and careful obser- 

 vation a really charming narrative style. Like 

 girls in general they take more kindly to the pen 

 than do their brothers ; but the Sandown Boys' 

 Team contributes clearly expressed and accurate 



papers, illustrated with excellent drawings. The 

 Havant essays also are distinguished by intimate 

 knowledge of their subjects and are remarkably 

 good, a very little behind the best. Immediately 

 after these four Schools, and divided from them by 

 the narrowest of lines, come the teams of Headley, 

 Boldre, and Laverstoke. The Headley papers are 

 particularly interesting and sympathetic, with a 

 good deal of original matter in them. Boldre 

 team sends intelligent and painstaking notes on 

 well-selected subjects, rather loosely put together. 

 At Laverstoke the teachers evidently possess the 

 great gift of bringing out the individual traits and 

 faculties of the scholars, and the essays show a 

 most welcome personal note. At the head of the 

 next class come the Bitterne Park girls, showing a 

 pleasant feeling for beauty and colour ; and 

 Farnborough National School, with capital notes 

 on the progress of nests and nestlings. The girls 

 of St. Peter's, Bournemouth, write both nicely and 

 well ; with more field-work they should take a 

 high place. Ridge and Awbridge are two Schools 

 that have made very marked progress ; the 

 Ridge papers are very well done ; those from 

 Awbridge give the results of observation simply 

 and clearly. Hayling Island team show distinct 

 originality and cleverness in their treatment of 

 Trees, though their Bird knowledge seems to be 

 chiefly derived from books. Good work, rising 

 here and there to excellence, is submitted by 

 Barton Stacey, Boldre Lane, Bitterne (Boys), 

 Copythorne, Hinton Ampner, Kingsley, Western 

 Schools (Southampton), and Wickham. 



SOMERSETSHIRE. 



Challenge Shield : Long Ashton Parochial 

 School. Second Prize : Clutton and Exford, tie. 

 Highly Commended : Frome Boys' National 

 School ; Castle Cary Council School, Boys ; Castle 

 Cary, Girls. Commended : Oldfield Girls' School, 

 Bath; Shingston Dyche ; East Brent, Highbridge ; 

 Wembdon ; Wraxall, Girls. 



Somerset has done extremely well this year, 

 though without the aid of Yatton, which, after 

 winning the Shield for two years in succession, 

 1905-6, was adjudged eligible for the Inter-County 

 Competition only. 



Long Ashton takes first place by the general 

 excellence of all the papers ; they are fresh and 

 bright, written from observation, and show a love 

 of nature and an enthusiasm which make them 

 pleasant to read. All the essays from Clutton 

 are written in a charmingly simple natural style, 



