Bird Notes and News 



39 



Commenting on the Treaty, the New York 

 Tribune (September 5) says : 



"It is a conservation measure of vast 

 importance, destined not only to preserve 

 to the American continent various species 

 of game and insectivorous birds rapidly 

 becoming extinct, but to save the American 

 farmer millions on millions of dollars lost 

 through the crop depredations of insects. 



' ' The United States Department of Agri- 

 culture has estimated that insects damage 

 the nation's crops to the vast extent of 

 $1,200,000,000 annually. Obviously, the 

 interests of the people require that any 

 practical step to lessen such stupendous loss 

 should be taken. The Federal law, based 

 on the theory that migratory birds were the 



nation's propei-ty rather than the property 

 of any state Avithin whose boimdaries they 

 might happen to be at a given time, was one 

 way of attacking this problem. Testimony 

 from state officials, farmers' associations, 

 conservation societies and sportsmen's or- 

 ganisations all over the coimtry indicates 

 that in the comparative^ short time it has 

 been in effect it has produced great benefit 

 by increasing the number of birds. That 

 benefit will be magnified by the extension of 

 the principle of bii'd protection to Canada. 

 The birds of a continent will be protected 

 according to one broad scheme taking into 

 consideration their breeding habits and 

 districts, and that scheme may not be broken 

 down according to the desires of the people 

 of a given state or interrupted at the national 

 boundary." 



Bird-and-Tree (Arbor Day) Competitions. 



Effects of the War, in taking away teachers 

 to fight and cliildren to work, are of necessity 

 marked in the Bird-and-Tree Competition 

 this 3^ear. In some cases older boys and 

 girls, who have left school during spring 

 and summer to help on the land, have 

 returned for one or two days in order to 

 take part in the Essay-writing, knowing, it 

 may be, all the more of their subjects for 

 their work in the open ; but the majority 

 of Teams have either made up their numbers 

 fiom the reserve Cadets or have unfortunately 

 withdrawn from the Competition. A great 

 many schools have, however, to be con- 

 gratulated upon brave and successful efforts 

 made, in spite of all difficulties and dis- 

 couragements, to continue the work and do 

 credit to reputations already made or in 

 the making. 



The Norfolk Essays were sent in earlier 

 than those from other counties, and the 

 Judges have awarded the Shield to Beecham- 

 well School ; Wereham and Great Dimham 

 being bracketed for second place. 



A condensed report on the whole com- 

 petition will appear in the next number of 

 Bird Notes and News. 



The Secretary of the Cumberland Educa- 

 tion Committee has set an example which 



might be usefully followed. In view of the 

 desecration of nature by the thoughtless 

 conduct of persons who deface " beauty 

 spots," damage trees and shrubs, uproot 

 flowers, and leave unsightly litter about, 

 the Committee are calling in the aid of the 

 teachers of Secondary and Primary Schools. 

 A brief paper dealing with the selfishness 

 and folly of breaking down branches of 

 trees, rooting up plants, destroying birds' 

 nests and eggs, and thi-owing about waste 

 paper, banana skins, bottles, and the like, 

 has been drawn up and sent to the masters 

 and mistresses of schools, with the request 

 that it might be read to the scholars before 

 the summer holiday. Bird-and-Tree Cadets 

 do not, of course, do these things; Boy 

 Scouts are supposed not to ; but there is 

 probably hardly a common or a street in 

 the country which is not made less beautiful 

 (or more ugly) than it need be by the curious 

 love for destruction and for litter wliieh 

 seems to break forth when Enghsh peopla 

 are outside their own homes. 



" We are proud of om* native land, and if 

 we do anything to destroy its beautj^ or 

 injure it in any way we are not true patriots. 

 . . . There are many places open to the 

 public, such as the proiDcrties of the National 

 Trust, mountains, lakes, parks, and commons. 



