Bird Notes and News 



61 



lack of knowledge is atoned for by pleas- 

 ing verbiage and good spelling. But for 

 Bird and Tree papers the child's own 

 observation, thought, discoveries and 

 ideas are sought ; initiative is encouraged ; 

 intelligence that leads to knowledge and 

 interest that evokes sympathy are more 

 to the purpose than book-learned state- 

 ments and memorised sentiments. 



The wonder is perhaps that the children 

 take to the new style of thing so quickly 

 and obviously enjoy it so thoroughly. 

 Much, of course, depends upon the 

 Teacher ; in some schools nature-study 

 had been conducted on similar hnes 

 already, with country rambles and happy 

 chatter ; in others it had meant terrible 

 words like " chlorophyl " and " dicho- 

 tomous," and the bringing to school of 

 eggs one wanted for oneself or for 

 swopping. 



The tw^o main defects, both with in- 

 experienced Teams and in much of the 

 general work, are (1) too great dependence 

 on books, lessons and hearsay ; (2) too 

 great concentration on nests and eggs, 

 with neglect of the bird itself, its habits, 

 food, and, above all, notes. Evidence of 

 carefully-kept notebooks is greater than 

 formerly, and the best effect of all is 

 produced where the making of notes has 

 helped to form the picture in the brain 

 and led to the acquiring of definite facts ; 

 but where at the time of writing the notes 

 themselves can be left behind and memory 

 reconstruct bird and tree brightly and 

 clearly. Some of the children achieve 

 this happy result with remarkable success. 



The choice of subjects continues to 

 improve. Though the commoner species 

 naturally form the subjects of the greater 

 number of papers, there are good essays 

 on such birds as Wild Duck, Tern, Little 

 Grebe, Snipe, Kingfisher, Green and 

 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Wheatear, 

 Whinchat, Crossbill, Dipper and Oyster- 

 catcher ; and on Hornbeam, Guelder 

 Rose, Spindle-tree, Whitebeam, Ilex, 

 Dogwood, Spruce Fir, Aspen, Bird- 

 Cherry and Mulbeiry. 



The Judges for the whole Competition 

 were : Sir Montagu Sharpe, K.C., IVIr. 

 H. G. Alexander, ]\Iiss Clifton, Mrs. 



Edward Clodd, Mrs. Frederick Dawson, 

 ]\Ir. F. Martin Duncan, Mr. J. Rudge 

 Harding, Mr. J. R. B. Masefield, Mr. H. 

 Moss, F.R.H.S., Miss Pollock, Rev. W. A. 

 Shaw, Rev. J. G. Tuck, and Miss Gardiner 

 (Secretary). 



INTER-COUNTY SHIELD 



The Inter-County Shield, for which 

 competition is limited to County Shield 

 winners of the year and " Chamjjion " 

 Schools which on account of continued 

 successes have been ruled ineligible for 

 their County Shield for the time being, 

 is this year awarded to Leicester Road 

 School, Bedworth (Warwickshire), an old 

 and enthusiastic competitor. The second 

 place is given to the Victoria School, 

 WeUingboro', whose name is already on 

 the trophy ; and the third to Newburgh, 

 Lancashire's champion school, which won 

 it last year. In speaking highly of the 

 original observations of the wimiing 

 Teams, the Judge adds : " One of the 

 best single essays, if not the best, is the 

 Dipper, from Cartmel Fell. I know the 

 bird well, and several of its character- 

 istics not generally mentioned in text- 

 books are referred to by the writer. 

 Another good one is the Pied Wagtail 

 from Bedworth. The three Tree Essays 

 from WeUingboro' are of a high standard. 

 Altogether the essays are above the 

 average of those I have had before, and 

 all show increased intelligence." 



Newburgh, though a young Team, 

 having lost some of the leading members 

 of last year's winning Team, does notably 

 excellent work so that its county is 

 strongly represented. 



COUNTY COMPETITIONS 

 BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 



Bucks is still among the lazy counties, and 

 does not make good use of its fine opportunities. 

 Possibly the well-trod road seems easier than 

 new paths, and the fact that a bird is a bird 

 and a tree a tree seems enough, without any 

 inquiry as to what bird or what tree or as to 

 the association of either with man. Those 

 Schools which compete demonstrate, however, 

 that good work can be done in the county, 

 and the Shield is closely contested. A new 



