Bird Notes and News 



55 



parish of Brean, and such parts of that 

 parish and the parishes of Weston-super- 

 Mare and Uphill as are comprised ^Wthin 

 the following boundary line : A line com- 

 mencing at a point at low-water mark 50 

 yards to the north of the mouth of the River 

 Axe, proceeding in a south-easterly direction 

 in a straight line to and including Black 

 Rock, thence to a point 50 yards to the 

 north-east of the fei'ry landing place in the 

 parish of Uphill, thence across the river, 

 proceeding in a north-westerly direction to 

 Black Point, thence along the southern 

 base of Brean Down to Howe Rock, and 

 from Howe Rock along low-water mark to 

 the point of commencement." 



PUBLIC SCHOOL ESSAY 

 COMPETITION. 



Great difficulty was experienced in 

 making the award this year on account 

 of the closeness of the competition, 

 especially in the half-dozen papers taking 

 the lead in the work of the Seniors. 

 Two alternative subjects were given : 

 (1) The birds of a specific Area, with 

 Sketch Map of the District ; (2) Summer 

 Migrants observed in 1912. The first 

 was by far the more popular. Most of 

 the papers sent show excellent knowledge 

 of bird-life and patient observation ; the 

 maps are cleverly done, and in several 

 cases admirable photographs were added. 

 Ultimately it was decided to give a 



Silver Medal for each subject, the wdnners 

 being : — 



E. N. Buxton, Harrow, " The Birds of 

 Epping Forest " 



C. J. Richards, Haileybury, " Summer 

 Migrants of 1912 " 



and to award a Special Prize to G. C. 

 Bull, Bedford School, whose observations 

 are hardly less excellent, while his 

 photographs are extraordinarily good. 



The following Competitors are awarded 

 Certificates and Book Prizes : — 



H. M. Stanford. Rugby, " Birds of Aldring- 

 ham " ; C. D. B. Ellis, Bootham School, 

 " Birds of York and District " ; R. L. Bruce, 

 Glenalmond, " Birds observed near Glen- 

 almond " ; T. W. Scott, Bancroft's School, 

 " Birds of Epping Forest " ; E. 0. KiUen, 

 Bedford, " Birds on the Cornish Coast " ; 

 C. H. Andrewes, Highgate School, " Birds 

 in a Highgate Garden " ; R. E. R. San- 

 derson, Bedford, " Birds of N. Beds and 

 part of Northants." 



In the Junior Division the awards are 

 as foUows : — 



Bronze Medal : H. F. B. Cooper, Bedford 

 School, " Birds observed in Bedfordshire." 



Second Prize : M. H. Rattray, Bootham 

 School, " Birds of Carieton Fishery." 



Certificates and Books : V. K. Maitland, 

 St. Olave's School, S.E., " Birds in Peckham, 

 Honor Oak, and Duhvich " ; J. W. Snowdon, 

 Rossall, " Birds at Embsey, near Skipton, 

 Yorks." 



Notes. 



A SPORTING pumper admits with relief that 

 " no harm can result " from the reservation 

 of Brean Dowti as a birdland home, under 

 the protection of the R.S.P.B., because the 

 area is in a remote comer where it will not 

 interfere Avith the " sportsman." In certain 

 other cases, it is further observed, things are 

 otherw-ise — " a dear old lady's sanctuary " 

 has made an adjoining shooting " almost 

 worthless " because it swarms with 



" vermin." " England," adds this one- 

 eyed critic, " is too small for the gratification 

 of such ideas." If England is indeed too 

 small for the preservation both of beautiful 

 and interesting wild life, and of the man 

 who wishes it all destroyed on his own land 

 and on everybody else's in order that he 

 may kill, some doubt may exist as to which 

 of the two England could the better 

 spare ! 



