32 



Bird Notes and News 



St. Faith's, Heydon, Loddon Girls, Mattishall, 

 Melton Constable and Briston, Sporle, and Wick- 

 mere ; and a nximber of other Teams are h.c. or c. 



Northamptonshire. — Challenge Shield : 

 D'Anvers Endowed School, Culworth. Here again 

 the number of competing Teams keeps up well, 

 though several of the previous leaders in the 

 Competition are unfortunately missing. Much 

 genuine, pleasant, and patient work is done by the 

 winning School and by Middleton Cheney, Welton, 

 Croughton, Cold Higham, Mears Ashby, Silverstone, 

 and Watford, and by other Schools in a greater or 

 less degree. The study is mainly at first-hand, but 

 apt to be marred by lack of knowledge as to what 

 to observe, and by a predominance of measiu-ements 

 and details which are only a poor (if painstaking) 

 substitute for general description and for the love 

 and feehng for nature which inspires the best papers. 



Somerset. — Challenge Shield : Chillington . 

 Somerset shows the efTects of troubled times 

 markedly in the decline of competition ; but the 

 work, if from yomiger hands, maintains the bright 

 and animated style and quickness of observation 

 which seem more characteristic of the co^mty than 

 is perseverance. Chillington takes the Shield for 

 a second year with essays charming in matter and 

 manner. Chedington, just over the Dorset border, 

 shows a like alertness of mind ; Winsham stands 

 third ; and special commendation is won by North 

 Perrott, Norton Fitzwarren, Wambrook, and 

 Brishngton. 



Warwick. — Challenge Shield : Leicester Road, 

 Bedworth. Warwickshire Teams in general evi- 

 dently take interest and pleasure in the Competi- 

 tion, and pride in their independent observations, 

 with the natural result of open-air and spontaneous 

 work, marked also by a graceful sympathy. Bed- 

 worth has been already mentioned. Dosthill, first 

 last year, well deserves the Second Prize by its zeal 

 and energy ; Mancetter's very young Team sustain 

 the School's reputation. Ansley and Great Alne 

 are awarded Certificates ; and other schools men- 

 tioned are Kenilworth, Minworth, Rowington, 

 Solihull (Girls), Studley and Temple Grafton. 



Open Class. — ^This class includes essays from a 

 dozen different counties, some of them good enough 

 to prompt the wish that a County Shield could 

 fiu-ther inspire the young people and stimulate other 

 schools to follow their example. Possibly this will 

 come in time. The First Prize goes to Hinton 

 Waldrist (Berks), which again sends admirable and 

 sympathetic papers ; and Certificates to Easton 

 (Portland, Dorset), Felixstowe Ferry (Suffolk), 

 Great Waldingfield (Suffolk), Greenlanes, Clontarf 

 (Dublin), Slindon (Sussex); and the h.c. to Charney 

 (Berks), Carrowbeg (Donegal), Gazeley (Suffolk), 

 Norton Bradway (Derby), 'Totley (Derby). 



Fuller reports have been forwarded to all the 

 competing schools. 



A number of Festivals took place at or about the 

 time of the Christmas breaking-up of the schools, 

 including those of EUesbo rough, Bedworth, Dosthill 

 and (County Shield) Barton Stacey. 



Nesting-Boxes for Birds. 



■A correspondent who has some of the 

 Society's nesting-boxes in his grounds, writes : 



" I find that besides the use of the boxes 

 for actual nesting purposes, all are used for 

 roosting at nights, especially during the 

 winter months. A Blue Tit and his mate 

 bring up a family every year in a box 

 opposite my dressing-room window, and last 

 year I watched the family of eight fed with 

 a parting worm apiece before being fledged. 

 Another box quite near has a pair of Great 

 Tits in it every night now, and in the 

 morning they come out with their tails all 

 curled round by the shape of the box ; they 

 are most amusing." 



Another correspondent records Wrens 

 roosting in a Tit box. 



BRITISH HOMES for BRITISH BIRDS 



The Royal Society for the Protection 

 of Birds continues to supply 



NESTING-BOXES and FOOD-BOXES 



with every "Berlepsch" improvement, 



strong and durable. 



TREE-HOLE BOXES 

 WALDEN BOXES 



Much needed for all hole-building species owing 

 to the cutting down of Trees and Woodlands. 

 Hole-building Birds are Insect-eating Birds. 



Swinging Food-Box ; Seed Hopper ; Window- 

 tray for Food. 



ALL BRITISH MADE. 

 Write for revised price list. 



Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, 



23, QUEEN ANNE'S GATE, S.W.I. 



Bird Notes and News (issued quarterly) will 

 be sent post free to an}^ address for is. per annum, 

 payable in advance ; single numbers, 3d. 



To Members of the Society subscribing os. and 

 upwards per annum it is forwarded gratis and post 

 free. 



Printed by Witherby & Co., 326, High Holborn, W.C 1., and 

 published by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, 

 23, Queen Anne's Gale, S.W. , 



