124 



Bird Notes and News 



Girls', and Thorley (I.W.) ; and sound and 

 promising work from Barton Stacey, Brigh- 

 stone (I.W.), Ashmansworth and Botley 

 (the two last-named newcomers, who need 

 only be advised to go on as they have begun), 

 Hinton Ampner, and Wickham. The 

 popular birds in the county are Starhng 

 and Thrush : one Bird paper in every seven 

 is on the Starling, 



NORFOLK. 



Challenge Shield : East Carleton School. 

 Second Prize : Tittleshall. 

 Third Prize : Postwick. 



One notably admirable point about the 

 Norfolk essays is that nearly all, even the 

 most elementary, consist of personal observa- 

 tions. In the case of East Carleton this 

 has been developed to a high degree and 

 is combined with good and dehghtfuUy 

 spontaneous composition, nice feeling, and 

 neat little sketches. Moreover, the essays 

 were written without notes, and the subjects 

 are well chosen — Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail 

 and Willow-Warbler for Birds ; Wliite- 

 beam. Hornbeam, and Acacia for Trees. All 

 the papers receive full marks, and it is a 

 pleasure to award the Shield to the School. 

 At Tittleshall, and Postwick again, the 

 papers are not only close and exact but 

 thoughtful ; those on Trees in particular are 

 excellently done. After these three leading 

 Teams come East Tuddenham, Lyng, Coltis- 

 hall, Yaxham, Feltwell Fen, Sprowston, 

 Stoke Ferry, and PuDiam St. Mary Magdalene. 

 There is good observation in all these papers, 

 and many of the young writers have clothed 

 their matter in pleasing and sympathetic 

 language. There are specially good essays 

 on the Jackdaw from Sprowston, Robin 

 from Yaxham, Woodpecker from Pulham, 

 and Owl and Wren from both East Tudden- 



ham and Lyng. Yaxham, Pulliam, and 

 Lyng are notable for picturesqueness and 

 originality of style ; Coltishall for zealous 

 study; all show first-hand knowledge, a 

 good deal of enthusiasm and more or less 

 power of expression. In the Second Class 

 are grouped Tacolnestone (good account 

 of House-Martins' nest) ; Wickmere, with 

 careful papers on American Horse-Chestnut 

 and American Maple ; East Ruston (Long- 

 tailed Tit excellent) ; Attleborough Boys ; 

 Ketteringham, where the girls seem to 

 possess an exceptional faculty for making 

 friends with their birds, and write brightly 

 about them ; Long Stratton ; East Lexham ; 

 Thompson (very genuine work) ; Ashwell- 

 thorpe (industrious notes) ; Little Cressingham 

 (for Trees, Birds indifferent) ; Wolferton 

 (another good paper on the Long -tailed Tit) ; 

 Winfarthing ; Stoke Ferry (2nd Team, and 

 like the first team strong in illustrations) ; 

 Wiggenhall St. German ; Boughton ; and, 

 again for Trees only, St. Faith's School. 

 Special mention must also be made of 

 Aldeby, Brockdish, Hempnall, Horstead, 

 Moulton St. Mary, Swanton Morley, and 

 Terrington St. Clement's. In all thirty-two 

 species of Birds and thirty-two Trees are 

 represented ; but the Thrush occurs sixteen 

 times, Blackbird thirteen, Horse Chestnut 

 and Oak fourteen each. 



NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. 



Challenge Shield : Long Buckby School. 

 Second Prize : Victoria Council School, Welling- 

 borough. 

 Third Prize : North-end School, Rushden. 



As was the case last year, the Judges 

 had some trouble in grouping the numerous 

 competing Schools in this county and in 

 awarding the Shield. Long Buckby receives 

 it by reason of painstaking personal observa- 



