94 



Bird Notes and News 



trees. The farmers and their families were 

 resting near their farms after their day's 

 work and their white oxen were already 

 inside their stalls. Sitting down some little 

 distance beyond to admire the vegetation and 

 distant hills, I suddenly noticed some strange 

 lopped trees, covered with old white lime, 

 and close by were two little brown huts, 

 covered with dead rushes and leaves. Opposite 

 the huts were depressions in the ground full 

 of weeds and wild flowers. I then realised that 

 these were " Eogolos," the Italian name 

 for bird-snaring stations. In the spring they 

 must have been covered with fresh green, 

 to make them indistinguishable among the 

 surrounding vegetation. I had noticed numbers 

 of tiny cages hanging on the walls of the houses 

 inside the town, each with its wild bird inside, 

 and on inquiry I learnt that these little birds 

 had been caught early in the Spring on their 

 migration northwards, and were now being 



kept to act as decoys this Autumn, when the 

 Southern migration takes place. 



A man hides himself inside the hut and 

 listens for the approach of a flight of birds ; 

 on hearing them he pulls a cord connected 

 with a decoy bird, who, feeling pain caused 

 by the tightening of its harness, cries out. 

 The flying birds hear the cries of distress 

 and fly downwards to the rescue of their 

 comrade ; some alight on the freshly limed 

 trees, others are immediately covered by a 

 fine large net which the hidden man dexter- 

 ously draws over them by means of connecting 

 cords. The captives are then either sold for 

 the Italian gentleman's breakfasts, or caged. 



I fear that these " Rogoli " exist in all 

 parts of Italy, and especially on the southern 

 slopes of the Alps, as at Lanzo d'Intelvi, for 

 instance, where I noticed that the surrounding 

 trees were leafless owing to the destruction 

 from caterpillars. 



Bird and Tree Challenge Shield Competition 



Judging from the very large number of entries 

 received, 1923 should see the strongest Bird 

 and Tree Competition yet held. The only 

 requisite is that the work and enthusiasm of 

 Cadets should continue and that there should 

 be no holding-back when the time comes for 

 writing essays. It happens sometimes that 

 new entrants. Schools or Cadets, become faint- 

 hearted and think it "no use " sending in 

 papers. Never was a greater mistake. Every 

 child and every school should do its best. It 

 is not the Shield that is the true prize ; it is 

 the observation, the patience, the knowledge 

 (however small or elementary), the " look- 

 about- you " habit, the listening ear, the power 

 of thinking, the growing appreciation of 

 nature's beauty and of sympathy with nature's 

 life. To gain these is to win a book that is 

 never dull and never read right through. 

 There is also to be considered the check and 

 disappointment afforded to the children by not 

 sending in essays, however simple they may be ; 

 the stimulus given by the award of Montagu 

 Sharpe medals for the best papers of Teams 

 even where that Team cannot yet take a high 

 place in the school-against-school competition. 

 Several new counties enter this year ; and the 

 provision of a Challenge Shield depends upon 

 the number of entrants. Which county or 

 counties will claim the ofEer ? 



A PRIZE-WINNER'S LETTER 



The following letter from Hugh Howes, who 

 won the first prize in the " Tailby" Owl Com- 

 petition, has been received with pleasure by the 

 Bird and Tree Committee : — 



" I beg to thank you very much for the lovely Prize 

 that I received for my Owl Essay, My Father and 

 Mother and Teachers are delighted and think I am 

 very lucky to own such a book. I am sorry I have 

 left school, for I loved the nature work there so much, 

 but I shall always study and watch birds and protect 

 them. Everyone wants to read my book. I shall 

 value it all my life," 



The volume was Mr. Pycraft's " Birds in 

 Flight," with Mr. Roland Green's illustrations. 



SHIELD FOR GIRL GUIDES 



The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds 

 is this year offering a Challenge Shield to Girl 

 Guides, to be competed for annually by Guide 

 or Ranger Companies. The 1923 Competition 

 takes the form of "Bird Logs," and marks 

 will be given for : nest observation and pro- 

 tection ; feeding, and observation of natural 

 food ; observation of songs, call notes, etc. ; 

 records of definite bird-protection. Particulars 

 appear in the May number of the Girl Guides 

 Gazette, which has also two good letters on 

 bird-protection, and an amusing account of 

 nesting Wrynecks, 



