Bird Notes and News 



63 



Bird-and-Tree (Arbor) Day. 



CHALLENGE SHIELD COMPETITIONS, 1914. 



The Competition suffered somewhat in 

 1914 owing to the pre-occupation of local 

 committees and judges, especially in the 

 case of those Schools where the Essays are 

 not written until after the summer holidays. 

 In quality, however, there has been no 

 falling off, and in this respect the work 

 has developed wonderfully since the scheme 

 was first put into operation twelve years 

 ago. The selection of subjects widens and 

 improves, observation becomes more original; 

 and more thought and sympathy are dis- 

 cernible. Handwriting and spelling, it may 

 be remarked incidentally, are often better 

 than in higher-class schools. 



The Bedfordshire Shield, as intimated 

 last year, has to be withdrawn for lack of 

 competitors. It was instituted in 1904. 

 The only entries are from the Woburn 

 Boys, who are eligible only for the Inter- 

 County Shield, which they held in 1913-14, 

 and Mogerhanger. Woburn sends in ex- 

 tremely good papers on Great Crested 

 Grebe, Goldeneye, and Nuthatch, Alder, 

 Weeping Willow, and Beech, fully maintain- 

 ing their reputation. Both Schools receive 

 honorary awards. 



The Special Prizes offered by a Member 

 of the Council for the best Essays on Owls 

 are won by Kathleen Hopkins (Middleton, 

 Warwickshire) and Horace Jasper (Princes 

 Risboro, Bucks). 



The judges were : Mr. Montagu Sharpe 

 (Chairman of Council), Miss Clifton, Mrs. 

 Fuller Maitland, Mr. G. A. Freeman, B.Sc, 

 Mr. W. H. Hudson, F.Z.S., Mr. Hastings 

 Lees, F.Z.S., Mr. J. Pv. B. Masefield, Miss 

 Rowe, B.Sc, Rev. J. G. Tuck, and Miss 

 Gardiner (Secretary). 



INTER-COUNTY SHIELD. 



Fob this Competition are entered the 

 Champion and Shield-winning Teams of all 

 the competing counties and also the leading 

 prize-winners in the Open Class ; and the 

 task of adjudicating among so many excel- 

 lent sets of papers is not an easy one. One 

 school — it may almost be said one county — 

 exhibits special merit in one direction, 

 others are perhaps superior in different 

 ways. This year the coveted trophy is 

 awarded to the Wolverton St. Mary Girls' 

 School, Bucks, which took second place 

 last year ; their work is admirable both in 

 matter and manner. The second place 

 is assigned to Exford (Somerset) ; these 

 essays are simpler than some of the others, 

 but the freshness and pleasant feeling 

 manifest in them has given them precedence 

 over even the wonderfully capable work 

 that comes from Woburn Boys' Council 

 School (holders of the Shield, 1913-14) and 

 the Victoria Council School, Wellingborough. 



COUNTY CHALLENGE SHIELDS. 

 BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. 



Challenge Shield. — Wolverton 

 St. Mary Girls' School. 



Bucks, though very poor in the quantity 

 of its competing Schools, is so markedly 

 good as regards quality that the Society 

 again postpone the question of withdrawing 

 the Shield ; and it may be hoped that the 

 conspicuous success of its leading Team 

 will encourage other Schools to support 

 the distinction earned by the County. 

 The essays written by the Wolverton 

 Girls are wonderfully good as regards 



