Bird Notes and News 



51 



recent writers are represented, and every 

 reader will be glad to meet with, for 

 example, Edmund Dowden's "Corncrake," 

 Mrs. Marriott Watson's "Willow-Wren," 

 and Lady Townshend's " Playnte of the 

 Captive Lark." Printing and get-up com- 

 mend the book as a present. 



Song and Wings (London : The De la More 

 Press, 2s. 6d.) is another daintily presented 

 volume, in this case of original poems, 

 the author being a bird-lover of to-day, Miss 

 Isa J. Postgate, already well known to many 

 Members of the R.S.P.B. As Canoa 

 Rawnsley says in his brief fore-word, 

 " Birds and their song have found in the 

 authoress eyes that closely observe, ears 

 that listen, a tender heart, and a voice to 



plead for them." It is as a loving and 

 pitiful friend and pleader for the tribe, and 

 especially for the little birds about English 

 homes, that she employs her sympathetic 

 pen ; and the following verses may be 

 quoted as an example of graceful lines that 

 touch a still higher note : 



If all were dark in every place, 

 Except thy breast of red, 



I could not with that gleam of grace 

 Think that all hope was dead. 



If all on earth, sweet little bird, 

 Were discord save thy song, 



I ne'er could fancy as I heard, 

 That everything was wrong. 



If to me there were only left 



A little bird to love, 

 I would, though of all else bereft, 



Keep faith in God above. 



Bird-and-Tree Competitions. 



The number of Essays sent in has 

 suffered serious decline this year in conse- 

 quence of the War. Not only have various 

 Local Committees been too deeply engaged 

 with Red Cross work to superintend the 

 writing — which must be looked upon as a 

 misfortune when teams had been eagerly 

 preparing through spring and summer — 

 but in certain cases the children's help has 

 been required more than usual in the 

 harvest fields. Special credit must, under 

 the circumstances, be given to Felixstowe 

 Ferry School ; here, though the school 

 buildings are in the hands of the War 

 Office, and the lady to whose interest and 

 encouragement the Bird-and-Tree work is 

 due has had to give up her house for 

 military purposes, papers have been sent 

 in by two teams. In the case of a 

 Lancashire school, where also Nature Study 

 is a strong feature, it is noted that three 

 members of the Team are " half-timers 



at a neighbouring factory ; yet none is over 

 twelve years of age. This is surely a» 

 example to some of the country schools, 

 where the children can happily roam the 

 fields, unshadowed by factory walls, and 

 have abundant opportunity and incentive 

 for Bird-and-Tree work for two years after 

 the age at which these young half-timers 

 begin life's toil. 



The results of the Competition will be 

 made known to all Secretaries of local 

 Committees and Head-Teachers of com- 

 peting schools as soon as possible after the 

 awards are decided bv the Judges. 



A typed Lecture entitled "My Bird," 

 with lantern slides, may be hired from the 

 R.S.P.B. by representatives of Schools 

 taking part in the Society's Bird and Tree 

 Competitions or desirous of introducing 

 the scheme. It consists almost entirely of 

 extracts from essavs written for the com- 



