Bird Notes and News 



119 



Public School Essay Competition. 



The special subject set for the Public 

 School essays this year was the difficult one 

 of " Flight," made peculiarly interesting at 

 the present time in the comparison inevitably 

 suggested with the flights of aeroplanes 

 and hydroplanes. Even Bird papers from 

 Elementary Schools are full of allusions to 

 volplaning and biplanes, and flying machines 

 in general, when the flight of birds is spoken 

 of. The anatomical and mathematical know- 

 ledge desirable, in addition to trained and 

 keen observation, for anything like a 

 competent discussion of a theme so complex 

 in character, and involving so much study of 

 the lives and habits of birds, made it some- 

 thing of a test question. The winner of the 

 Silver Medal, G. V. Webster, Eton, writes an 

 admirable paper ; the information is 

 thoroughly well digested, the amount of 

 personal observation gives it great interest, 

 and the writer expresses hiinself with unusual 

 ability. Some extracts from the essay will, it 

 is hoped, appear in the next number of Bird 

 Notes and News. The Second Prize Essay 

 is a competent and careful piece of work by 

 A. F. Bell, Berkhamsted. This prize would 

 have gone to B. Seeker, Worcester, whose 

 paper is in many respects first-rate, but that 

 it depends too much and too closely on a 

 standard work on the structure of birds. 

 C. C. Baring, Haileybury, who has made his 

 mark in former years as a capital field 

 naturalist, is not at his best on this subject, 

 but writes an interesting essay. 



Having regard to the character of the 

 subject, it is not surprising that few boys 

 under the age of sixteen had the courage to 



take it in hand. The Junior Division is 

 always weaker than the Senior, genuine field 

 ornithology being a comparatively rare 

 study with the lower Forms. This year the 

 competition is confined to a batch of papers 

 from the Bristol Cathedral School. These 

 lads may be congratulated on their effort, and 

 it is to be hoped that another year, with a 

 subject better within their reach, they will 

 be able to get in a better show of their own 

 original field-work. Their papers are very 

 creditable, but mainly derivative. A Certi- 

 ficate of Merit is awarded to J. C. T. Jackson 

 and Honourable Mention is accorded F. G. 

 Jennings. 



The " Owl " Prize, given annually by a 

 member of the R.S.P.B. Council, goes to 

 Louis Conisbee, Bedford Grammar School, 

 for a well thought-out paper, not containing 

 very much that is fresh but dwelling usefully 

 on the economic value of the four British 

 Owls. 



Senior Division. 



Silver Medal : G. V. Webster (Eton). 



Second Prize : A. F. Bell (Berkhamsted 

 School). 



Certificates and Book Prizes : C. C. Baring 

 (Haileybury) ; Berkeley Seeker (Worcester, 

 King's School). 



Junior Division. 



Certificate of Merit : J. C. T. Jackson 

 (Bristol Cathedral School). 



The " Owl " Prize : Louis Conisbee 

 (Bedford Modern School). 



The Judges were : Mr. F. W. Headley, 

 M.A., Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, F.Z.S., 

 M.B.O.U., and the Rev. Julian G. Tuck, M.A. 



