Bird Notes and News 



119 



good. Certificates are won by the Holme 

 School, Headley ; Ridge ; and the Western 

 Boys' School, Southampton. Brightstone, 

 I.W., Hale, Hayling, Hinton Ampner, Swan- 

 more, and Wickham are highly commended. 



Lancashire. — Challenge Shield: Atherton 

 C.E. School, whose essays, on a good level 

 of accurac}^ and neatness, are accompanied 

 by admirable dramngs. VVithnell U.M. 

 ranks second with fresh and pleasant papers, 

 High Wray achieves the feat of attaining 

 almost to front rank in a first attempt ; 

 and St. Stephen's, Preston, is little below the 

 best. Next to the winners of certificates 

 come Bamber Bridge, Bolton-le-Sands, 

 Brathay District, Cartmel Fell, and Heskin, 

 all highly commended ; Barton Newsham 

 R.C., Brow Edge, Mawdesley R.C., Parbold 

 Douglas, and Scarisbrick Township are 

 commended. Lancashire has done very well 

 in respect of numbers this year, though, 

 as in most counties, the teams are younger 

 than usual, and, as a natural corollary, the 

 standard of work not so high as that of last 

 year. 



Norfolk. — Challenge Shield : Little 

 Dunham School, already mentioned as 

 deserving ^^dnners of the Inter-County 

 Shield. It is pleasant to find an increase 

 in the number of competing schools, and 

 general excellence of first-hand observation. 

 A capital variety of subjects is also noticeable. 

 The second and third places are occupied by 

 Tittleshall, particularly good in Trees, and 

 Great Dunham Girls'. Close to these comes 

 Post wick, sympathetic and original in its 

 work and notable for the attention paid 

 to bird-notes ; while certificates are awarded 

 likewise to the Loddon Girls', Heydon, 

 St. Faith's, Melton Constable, and Briston 

 and Necton. In the next class, highly com- 

 mended, come Beechamwell (Shield-wimier 

 last year), Brockdish, Ketteringham, Long 

 Stratton, Mattishail, Toftwood, Tompson, 

 Wickmere, and Wolverton ; and some half- 

 dozen are commended. 



NoRTHAiviPTONSHLRE. — Challenge Shield : 

 All Saints School (girls), Wellingborough. 

 Last year there was some keen rivalry 

 between the girls' and boys' teams from 

 Wellingborough ; the girls on that occasion 

 were distinctly best, but this year it is rather 



difficult to say which leads, though there is 

 no doubt as to the two standing at the head 

 of the Northants teams. On the whole the 

 girls have it. All the papers are brightly 

 and intelligently written. The third place 

 is taken by Middleton Cheney, which is 

 strong enough to provide three teams ; 

 there is a pleasant tone about the work 

 and a capital amount of observation. 

 Certificates go to Badby, Croughton, Pole- 

 brooke, Ravensthorpe, and Welton ; while 

 Clopton, Culworth, Harlestone, Hemington> 

 Overstone, and Sudborough are highly com- 

 mended, and other teams commended. 



Somerset. —Challenge Shield .- Chillington. 

 Somerset's teams are nearly all very young 

 this year, and two or three leading schools 

 are unfortunately absent altogether ; but 

 freshness and spontaneity are again con- 

 spicuous in the interesting papers. The 

 judges can only wish that perseverance were 

 as notable a feature of Somerset schools. 

 Frome Girls' Council School, an older team 

 and Shield- \\dmier last year, takes the position 

 of Champion school, and the Shield goes to 

 Chillington with charmingly sympathetic 

 essays, the Birds being Brown Owl, House- 

 Martin, and Lesser Whitethroat. Winsham 

 and Chedington are awarded certificates. 

 North Perrott and Wambrook are highly 

 commended. 



Warwickshire. — Challenge Shield: Dost- 

 hill Council School. Warmckshire main- 

 tains its standard of excellence well, and 

 Dosthill has no easy task in securing first 

 place, though the team's Bird papers are 

 uncommonly good, and those on Trees 

 manifest only too much labour in their 

 painstaking detail. Mancetter, one of the 

 youngest teams in the county, comes 

 wonderfully close up, its Tree essays being 

 particularly intelligent. There is also 

 excellent first-hand work in essays from 

 Ansley, Minworth, and Great Alne, which 

 receive certificates ; Haselor, Rowington, 

 Sohhull Girls,' and Temple Grafton are 

 highly commended, and mention may also 

 be made of Studley R.C., a promising 

 newcomer. Great Alne, Haselor, and Temple 

 Grafton are strong in nature-drawings. 



Open Class. — The work in the Open 

 Class is stronger than usual this year, and 



