Bird Notes and News 



47 



all over the country in ite name. Two years of grub- 

 riddled vegetation and caterpillar-dripping trees, 

 with the irritation thus aroused over the shortage of 

 birds, may have something to do with the disclaimer. 



Is it now too much to ask the Board to issue as 

 many and as explicit leaflets to encourage the preserva- 

 tion of useful birds as they have issued to promote 

 destruction of " sparrows " T To set about the education 

 of country folk in the habits and utility of the small 

 warblers and finches which have been killed by the 

 thousand in answer to injunctions to destroy 

 " sparrows," unfledged young, and eggs ? To demand 

 rules in the " sparrow " clubs they have multiplied, 

 providing that the receiver of heads and eggs shall 

 be persons competent to identify and with a desire 

 to limit the species represented, and that fines 

 for killing insect-eating birds shall be at least equal to 

 the awards for destroying house sparrows ? If the 

 Board does none of these things, such inspired para- 

 graphs are mere empty apologies. It may not be 

 creditable to an official department to make such a 

 mistake as that persisted in formerlv by the Board. 

 It is creditable to either individual or department 

 franklj' to acknowledge a mistake and strive to 

 rectify it. 



It i« pleasant to know that our Allies, the Belgians, 

 are losing no time, after regaining their country, in 

 taking up work for the protection of birds. A new 

 anti-plumage league is to be started forthwith, to 

 take the place of that formerly conducted by the late 



Madame van Hoorde. It will have the sympathy 

 and good wishes of all English workers. The ornitho- 

 logists are also again to the fore, resuming publication 

 of Z^ Gerfaut, edited by M. Marcel de Contreras. 

 The Ornithological Society of the Centre of Belgium 

 (which it represents) lost in the war its secretary, who 

 fell while leading his men, and its treasurer, who was 

 murdered by the Germans at Lou vain. 



Another publication re-appearing after the war is 

 the Rtvista do Muatu PauUsta (Santo Paulo, Brazil), 

 the tenth volume being issued after a lapse of four 

 years. In size and interest it well fills the inevitable 

 gap, and includes a paper on a forgotten naturalist, 

 Diogo de Toledo Lara E. Ordonhes, with fragments 

 of his work on the birds of Brazil. The present 

 Director of the Museum is M. AfFonso d'E. Taunay. 



The National Association of Audubon Societies of 

 the United States proposes to erect a Bird Fountain 

 as a Nature-lovers' memorial to Theodore Roosevelt. 

 It is intended that this should be a notable work of 

 art, and it will probably be placed in Washington, 

 D.C. 



One of the best ways of preventing nest-destruction 

 is by interesting children in bird families, and few boj-8 

 and girls could read Captain Oliver Pike's new book, 

 Birdland's Little People (R.T.S.), without gaining in 

 knowledge and sympathy. It is also very attractively 

 got up. 



Bird and Tree (Arbor Day) in the Schools. 



If all the schools which have entered "^end in essays, 

 as it is hoped they will do, there should be a further 

 improvement in the Competition this year. Some 

 long-absent teachers have happily returned from 

 military duties which seem only to have whetted 

 their love for the country and their interest in Bird 

 and Tree work, need for which has been so strikingly 

 proved. Festivals in connexion with last year's 

 Competition continue to be held, and Barton Stacey, 

 winner of the Inter-County and Hampshire Shields, 

 had a highly successful gathering on June 18th, in 

 the Vicarage garden, the speakers including Sir 

 William Portal, Bart , Vice Chairman of the County 

 Council, and Mr. D. T. Cowan, Director of Education 

 for the county, both eminently sympathetic with 

 nature study. Barton Stacey will not be eligible 

 for the Hampshire Shield this year, but as a " Champion 

 School " can try again for the Inter-County. 



BIRD DAY IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 



" Education in New South Wales," says the Jmirnal 

 of Education, " gives a front place to nature study. 

 The Gould League of Bird Lovers, with branches in 

 many communities and a desire to have them in all, 

 seeks to protect the innoxious birds, to .secure uni- 

 formity in the naming of birds, and to promote friend- 

 ship and love towards them. A Bird-Life Supplement 

 to the Education Gazslte publishes the awards of 



priz»s to children for essays on birds, along with 

 specimens of the successful compositions ... It 

 is all well done. Nature is counsel and inspiration." 

 A practical turn is given to the Tree study in one 

 school by the children undertaking to bring twice a 

 week during the dry season, two bottles of water to 

 keep alive the school cedar, pepper, fig and gum trees. 



BIRD DAY IN OHIO. 



Associated with Bird Day in Toledo, the Museum 

 of Art maintains a Bird Club for children, which has 

 20,000 members, each of whom signs a pledge -card 

 to protect wild birds. On the Museum staff is an 

 instructor in nature study. The Mayor of Toledo 

 this spring issued a special proclamation declaring the 

 parks and boulevards of Toledo to be permanent 

 bird sanctuaries, and appointing the " boys and 

 girls of Toledo as guardians of the birds, to work 

 with the City administration for their protection." 

 Welcoming the support of the various associations of 

 nature lovers in the city and of the Boy and Girl 

 Scouts, the Mayor adds : — 



" It constitutes a penal offence to shoot or in any 

 way molest a useful bird. Bird-fountains will bo 

 erected in the public parks by the Welfare Division. 

 Birds are not only beautiful, but they serve a useful 

 purpose in eating the insects that destroy our crops, 

 trees and flowers." 



