52 



Bird Notes and News 



petition by the children of Elementary 

 Schools. 



Songs and part-songs, with or without 

 slides, and short plays and recitations are 

 lent for Bird-and-Tree Festivals ; schools 

 with musical or dramatic ambition cannot 

 do better than attempt one or other of the 

 following musical plays: "Bird-and-Tree 

 Day Pageant," by Mrs. Suckling (numerous 

 characters and songs, some dressing 

 requisite); "Midsummer Eve," by Mrs. 

 Suckling (singing play for girls) ; " The 

 Revolt of the Birds," by Rev. G. Edward 

 Young, with music for songs and dance by 

 Miss Clementine Ward (song-drama for 

 children, in two acts) ; " Vogelwied the 

 Minnesinger," set to music by George 

 Rathbone (cantata for children's voices); 

 "The Birdies' Concert," by A. L. Cowley 

 (musical sketch, can be sung in unison). 



BRITISH WOODLANDS. 



The shortage in Britain's timber 

 supply, and the great extent to which the 

 country is dependent upon other lands in 

 this respect, is again pointed out in the 

 Joint Report recently issued of the Office 

 of Woods and the Board of Agriculture. 

 The total area of woodlands in England 

 and Wales is under two million acres, 

 and the production of timber is only 

 one twenty-fourth of the amount of 

 that imported. Knowledge of the uses 

 and value of different trees, their suit- 

 ability for planting in various soils and 

 districts, and their proper treatment is 

 obviously desirable not only for schemes 

 of afforestation but also in connection 

 with the management of public parks, 

 commons, and open spaces, and with 

 tree - planting in streets, and is not 

 seldom conspicuous by its absence. 



The Postmaster-General regrets that 

 contracts for 100,000 telephone poles 



have this year had to be placed abroad ; 

 only a few hundred can be supplied by 

 home-growers. The trees most suitable 

 for providing this wood are the Larch 

 and the Scotch Pine. 



LIBERATING CAGED BIRDS. 



Many enquiries are addressed to the 

 R.S.P.B. as to the safety of wild birds 

 if set free from cages, numerous stories 

 being afloat as to their inability to feed 

 themselves, attacks on them by other 

 birds, etc. An early number of Bird 

 Notes and News will contain an article 

 on the subject by Mr. W. H. Hudson, 

 with an illustration in colour by Mr. 

 H. Gronvold. 



CHRISTMAS CARD. 



" Bird of Good Omen," the Greeting 

 Card to be issued this year by the Royal 

 Society for the Protection of Birds, will 

 be of a character peculiarly appropriate 

 to the terrible events which are engrossing- 

 all thought at the present time. It has 

 been expressly designed, in place of a 

 different commission originally given to 

 the artist, by Mr. O. Murray Dixon, 

 whose painting will be reproduced in 

 colour. 



By the regretted death of Miss N. 

 Taylor, which took place, from rapid con- 

 sumption, on September 19th, the R.S.P.B. 

 has lost an Assistant Secretary who had held 

 that post for nine years. Miss Taylor was 

 a keen and consistent lover of birds and a 

 loyal worker, and her bright and cheerful 

 manner made her generally liked. 



Bird Notes and News (issued quarterly) will 

 be sent post free to any address for Is. per annum, 

 payable in advance ; single numbers, 3d. 



To Members of the Society subscribing 5s. and 

 upwards per annum it is forwarded gratis and post 

 free. 



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

 published by the Royal Society for the Protection of 

 Birps, 23, Queen Anne's Gate, S.W. 



