Bird Notes and News 



31 



meriting the highest commendation. Hamp- 

 shire and Warwickshire furnish excellent Teams, 

 and some charming work, though the numbers 

 of competing schools are not what is expected 

 of two such happily-placed counties ; and in 

 Bucks, and Cumberland quality is more con- 

 spicuous than quantity. 



A list of the chief awards is appended : but 

 it must be added that in several cases the 

 judges found it extremely difficult to decide 

 the comparative merits of many excellent 

 papers. The number of Birds written on is 

 greater than usual, including a large number of 

 less common species. Lapwing, Kingfisher, 

 Magpie and Cuckoo, coming unexpectedly to the 

 fore. 



The judges were : Mr. Montagu Sharpe, K.C., 

 Miss Clifton, Mrs. Frederick Dawson, Mr. G. A. 

 Freeman, B.Sc, Mr. J. R. B. Masefield, Miss 

 Pollock, Rev, W. A. Shaw, Rev. Julian Tuck 

 and Miss Gardiner (Secretary). 



INTER-COUNTY COMPETITION. 



Challtngt Shield — Wereham School, Norfolk. 

 Second — -Ridge School, Hampshire. 

 Third — Victoria C. School, Wellingborough, 

 Northants ; and Newburgh, Lancashire. 



COUNTY COMPETITIONS. 



BucKiNGHAMsmRB. — Challenge Shield — EUesborough 

 Council School (3rd year). Certificates of Excellence — 

 Coleshill C.E. ; Cuddington C.E. ; Pitstone C. Highly 

 Commended — Haversham C.E. ; Sherington. 



Cumberland. — Challenge Shield — St. John's Girls' 

 School, Keswick {2nd year). Certificates — Buttermere ; 

 Cargo ; Nether Denton C. ; Seaton Camerton. 



Hampshire. — Challenge Shield — Ridge School. 

 Second Prize — The Holme School, Headley. Certifi- 

 cates — Boscombe Girls' School ; Barton Stacey ; 

 Headboume Worthy ; Hinton Ampner. Highly 

 Commended — St. John's Girls', Boscombe ; Brooke, 

 I.W. ; Wickham. 



Lancashire. — Challenge Shield — Newburgh C.E, 

 School (2nd year). Second Prize — Cartmel Fell. 

 Third Prize — Withnell U.M. Certificates — Adlington 

 (St. Paul's) ; Bolton-le-Sands R.C. ; Buckhurst, 

 Walmersley ; Finsthwaite C.E. ; Parbold Douglas ; 

 Preston (St. Stephen's) ; Staveley-in-Cartmel ; Goos- 

 nargh Whitechapel. Highly Commended — Atherton 

 C.E. ; Ashton-in-Makerfield (Park Lane) ; Barton 

 Newsham R.C. ; Brow Edge C. ; Blawith P. ; Mawdes- 

 ley R.C. ; High Wray ; Salesbury ; Scarisbrick 

 Township ; Skelwith (Brathay District) ; Walmsley 

 C.E. Commended — Claughton R.C. ; Grassendale 

 (Victoria) ; Hollins Green C.E. ; Lathom Park 

 (Ormskirk) ; Priest Hutton. 



Norfolk. — Challenge Shield — Wereham School. 

 Second Prize — Necton. Certificates — Beechamwell ; 

 Bracon Ash ; Old Catton ; Mattishall ; Postwick ; 

 St. Faiths ; Sporle ; Thetford ; Wickmere ; Wroxham. 

 Highly Commended — Castle Rising ; Colby and Fel- 



mingham ; Elsing ; Feltwell C.E. ; Feltwell Fen 

 Garvestone ; Hempnall ; Thompson ; Toftwood 

 Topcroft ; Whinbergh. Commended — Bumham Deep 

 dale ; East Ruston ; Fundenhall ; Long Stratton 

 South Walsham ; Wiggenhall St. Germans ; Wolferton 

 Worstead. 



Northamptonshire. — Challenge Shield — Victoria 

 Council School, Wellingborough. Second Prize — 

 Middleton Cheney. Third Prize — All Saints Boys, 

 WeUingborough. Certificates — Croughton ; Culworth ; 

 Maidford ; Mears Ashby ; Silverstone ; Welton ; 

 Wellingborough (All Saints Girls) ; Hemington ; 

 Watford. Highly Commended — Clopton ; Great- 

 worth ; Harlestone ; Polebrooke ; Rockingham ; 

 Sudborough. Commended — Flore ; Grendon ; Ashby 

 St. Ledgers ; Byfield. 



Somerset. — Challenge Shield. — Withheld. Certifi- 

 cates — Chedington ; North Perrott ; Winsham. 

 Highly Commended — Norton Fitzwarren. 



Warwickshire. — Challenge Shield — Mancetter C.E, 

 School. Second Prize — Rowington. Certificates — 

 Glascote Girls' ; Great Ahie C. ; Minworth 0. ; Solihull 

 Girls'. Highly Commended — Astley C.E. ; Great Alne 

 (II.); Temple Graf ton. 



Open Class. — First Prize — Slindon C.E. (Sussex). 

 Certificates — Felixstowe Ferry (E. Suffolk) ; Hinton 

 Waldrist (Berkshire) ; Totley (Derbyshire). Highly 

 Commended — Chamey, Bouverie-Pusey (Berks.); 

 Copdock C. (E. Suffolk) ; Gazeley V. (W. Suffolk) ; 

 Girls' Hospital School, Lakenham (Norfolk) ; Portland 

 Easton C. (Dorset). Commended — Merchant Taylors, 

 AshweU (Herts.) ; Kedington (W. Suffolk) ; Waltham 

 St. Lawrence (Berks.). 



THE " TAILBY " OWL PRIZES. 



Some dozen or more essays compete for these 

 special prizes, the species written on being 

 generally the Barn Owl, sometimes the Brown, 

 and in one instance the Little Owl, the first 

 introduction of this bird in the competition. 

 The papers are generally good, showing know- 

 ledge of the Owls and their value to the farmer, 

 and thus helping to further the efforts of the 

 Ministry of Agriculture, who say in their 

 Leaflet No. 51 : "In view of the unanimity 

 of evidence as to the great utility of the Barn 

 Owl, the necessity for the careful preservation 

 of this valuable bird cannot be too strongly 

 urged upon the whole rural community." 

 The first prize goes to Christina Hannah 

 (Staveley-in-Cartmel), the second to Sydney 

 Woodward (Rowington), and the third to 

 Muriel Hamblin, aged 9, (Hinton Waldrist) ; 

 but special commendation must be given to 

 Edith Blood (Withnell), who mentions that the 

 Liverpool Corporation protect the Owls on the 

 moors and plantations because they catch the 

 mice which nibble at the young trees ; W. 

 Thornley (Adlington St. Paul's) ; Ethel Hatch 

 (Coleshill), Isabel Darwell (Ashton-in-Maker- 

 field), and GeofErey Moore (Mattishall), 



