10 



BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



Hampshire. — Privett School, in addition 

 to its Inter-County celebration, had a festival 

 on November 29th, as winners of the County 

 Shield. The children went in a pretty proces- 

 sion, carrying garlands and flags, to Basing 

 Park, where a pink chestnut tree was planted 

 by Miss Gertrude Nicholson. The meeting 

 was held in the Schoolroom, when songs and 

 recitations were given, and Mr. Cowan, 

 Director of Education for the County, made 

 a most encouraging speech, congratulating 

 that little rural school and its head master, 

 Mr. Paine, on the splendid position they had 

 won. 



The second prize-winners, Sandown Boys' 

 and Girls' Schools, had a united festival 

 on February 14th, and were favoured with 

 delightful weather. A large and interested 

 audience assembled in the Christ Church 

 Parish Room, the Vicar (Rev. W. T. Storrs) 

 presiding. The medals and prizes were 

 presented by Mr. T. A. Wright, C.C., who 

 with Miss Ward, acted as judges in selecting 

 from 46 essays written by the scholars the 

 12 which were sent to the Society. Songs 

 and recitations were given, and subsequently 

 three trees were planted in the churchyard 

 and one in the playground, bringing the num- 

 ber of Sandown's "Arbor Day" trees to 32. 



Havant School, winners of the Third 

 Prize, commemorated Bird and Tree Day by 

 a lantern lecture on Birds from the Rector, 

 Rev. Canon Scott. The Rev. L. E. Dowsett 

 presided, and the R.S.P.B. was represented 

 by Mr. Hastings Lees, member of Council. 

 Local prizes were given for the best sketches 

 and the most methodically kept note-books. 

 In the morning a tree was planted in the play- 

 ground, under the direction of Mr. H. Beeston, 

 head master. — At St. Peter 's Girls' School, 

 Bournemouth, Mr. Parkinson Curtis gave 

 an illustrated lecture on Thrushes. — Hayling 

 School has the promise of a gold piece from 

 Admiral Startin for the best essay of 1908, 

 and prizes will again be given by Miss Sande- 

 man and Colonel Collins, C.B. 



Somersetshire. — The principal function 

 of the Long Ashton Festival took place at 

 Ashton Court, where the school children, 

 together with their master, Mr. Gunston, 

 the Vicar (Rev. L. H. Deering), Mr. Botham- 

 ley (County Education Secretary), and others 

 interested, were received by Lady Smyth, 

 who presented the Shield, medals, and 

 prizes. A programme of Nature Study part- 

 songs was performed by the scholars ; and 

 subsequent proceedings proved the young 

 people's prowess in other departments, for the 

 bread and scones prepared for the festival tea 

 were made by the girls in the cookery class, 

 and one of the speakers took occasion to 

 refer to the excellent work done in the school 

 gardens. Mr. Napier expressed the hope 

 that Long Ashton would retain the Shield 

 in 1908, but warned them that this meant 

 continued hard work, since others were as 

 anxious to win as they to keep it. The tree- 

 planting took place on a later date owing to 

 bad weather. 



The Festival at Exford (Second Prize, 

 tie with Clutton) was marked by the most 

 successful entertainment ever given by the 

 school children. The whole school went in 

 procession to plant trees (given by the Rev. 

 W. New) in the recreation ground and in the 

 boys' playground. Tea followed, and in 

 the evening a capital programme of songs 

 and dialogues was gone through. The Rev. 

 W. New presided, and referred to the ap- 

 proval with which the Bird and Tree work 

 was regarded by H.M. Inspector, and to the 

 all-important stimulus given it by the master, 

 Mr. Brambley. 



The proceedings at Clutton commenced 

 with a parade of the school drum and fife 

 band, and the speeches were diversified with 

 part-songs, including pieces set for the Somer- 

 set Eisteddfod. Mr. W. R. Hinton, chairman 

 of managers, presided, and in congratulating 

 Mr. Pullen (head master) and the Team, 

 spoke of the value of cultivating the faculty 

 of observation. The Rector (Rev. J. Mans- 



