Bird Notes and News 



65 



proxime accessit. The Privett essays are 

 full of personal observations, frank and 

 genuine, and though somewhat carelessly 

 or hurriedly written, carry the interest of 

 the reader by sheer force of their keenness 

 and sincerity. The writers are all boys, and 

 are all on the road to be good naturalists. 

 The Second Prize goes to a girls' team, that 

 of St. Peter's, Bournemouth, who as in 

 former years demonstrate real powers of 

 observation and a graceful and lively style 

 of composition. Also in the first rank come 

 Botley, notable especially for a pleasing 

 fancy and sense of beauty ; Sholing Girls 

 (Champion in 1912), whose ample records 

 reveal much admirable and enthusiastic 

 work ; Romsey C. E. Girls, with very 

 prettily-written and pleasant essays ; and 

 the Holme School, Headley, where real feel- 

 ing for nature inspires well- written papers. 

 Next come Hayling, where the subjects 

 chosen are unusually good and the Team 

 only need fuller and closer study to attain 

 to the first rank ; Barton Stacey, with 

 delightfully fresh and spontaneous work ; 

 Hinton Ampner, Awbridge, Brighstone (with 

 exceptionally clever drawings), and Wickham. 

 There is much that is good in all these 

 papers. 



NORFOLK. 



Challenge Shield. — Stoke Ferry. 



Forty-six Teams from Norfolk take part 

 this year, and it may be said of this County, 

 more perhaps than of any other, that the 

 papers, even the most simple, bear the 

 unmistakeable mark of personal effort and 

 direct observation. The main defect is the 

 continued inclination to devote the whole, 

 or almost the whole, of the Bird-papers to 

 descriptions of eggs and young, to the 

 exclusion of notes on habits, food, and song. 

 The Stoke Ferry children show a wonder- 



fully good grasp of their subjects and 

 excellent observation, and the essays, written 

 without notes, are particularly neat and 

 well illustrated. Tittleshall, as last year, 

 takes second place ; the Tree-papers here 

 are especially good, being full of pains- 

 taking detail and intelligent and apprecia- 

 tive comment, expressed with felicity of 

 phrase. East Tuddenham and Honingham 

 send also a capital set of papers, including 

 a charming one on the Long-tailed Tit. 

 Wickmere's essays are notably fresh and 

 original, those on Birds in particular ; 

 Feltwell Fen's excellence of composition 

 seems to denote a higher general level of 

 education than is common at country 

 schools ; the Attleborough Boys have written 

 without notes, in a bright, natural, boy-like 

 style. Hindelvestone, also without note, 

 does work indicative of genuine interest 

 and well-directed powers of observation, 

 with specially good notes on the food of 

 nestlings ; while Sporle, with much bright- 

 ness and unconventionality of manner, 

 sends two sets of good papers. Several 

 other Schools are represented by two Teams, 

 including Yaxham, whose young students 

 have kept note-books zealously and patiently. 

 Melton Constable's essays, if less obviously 

 original, are marked by good summarising 

 and deft illustrations. Wolverton takes 

 the lead in the County for choice of un- 

 common Birds (Tern, Kestrel, Bullfinch), 

 and judging by its rapid improvement, this 

 School should go far. All these Schools 

 are in the " Excellent " division. It is 

 possible to comment on others only in the 

 full report furnished to the County. 



NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. 



Challenge Shield. — Victoria Council 

 School, Welllngboro'. 



The work in Northants shows a distinct 



