50 



BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



mind and matter. Much keen observation is 

 displayed in the essays from the schools mentioned 

 as winning Certificates, and several are well illus- 

 trated. Ditchingham, Southery, Hickling, Burgh 

 Apton, Reedham, West Winch, Wretham, West 

 Lynne, and Wymondham, must likewise have special 

 commendation. The subjects selected by the young 

 writers are not specially typical of East Anglia, 

 unless the presence of a Wild Duck or two and a 

 solitary Snipe and Reed-Warbler may be so 

 considered. The first Norfolk Bird and Tree 

 Festival was held at Norwich on November 27th, 

 when Sir W. Ffolkes, Chairman of the County 

 Council, presided, and the Shield and Prizes were 

 presented by Lady Ffolkes. 



SOMERSET. 



Challenge Shield : Long Ashton Parochia 

 School (second year). Second Prize : Castle Cary 

 Girls' School. Certificates of Excellence : Clutton ; 

 Exford ; Castle Cary Boys ; Yatton (second team) ; 

 Frome Boys' National. Highly Commended : Bag- 

 borough ; Combe Hay ; Dyche, Bridgwater ; 

 Wembdon ; Whitestaunton. Commended : Catcott; 

 Cleeve, Bristol ; Bruton ; Barrow Gurney ; South- 

 end (Chard) Girls ; Southend Boys. 



There is a substantial increase in the number of 

 competitors from Somerset this year, and several 

 of the newcomers send in excellent work, notably 

 Bagborough, Combe Hay, and Whitestaunton — 

 work that must put the older students on their 

 mettle. Long Ashton again takes the Shield ; 

 all the essays from this team, but particularly those 

 on birds, aro full of keen and accurate information, 

 enthusiastically written, and interesting to read. 

 The Castle Cary Girls take the second place with 

 a charming set of papers, fresh and sympathetic. 

 The work of Clutton is noticeable for even excel- 

 lence. Yatton, besides entering for the Inter- 

 County Shield, furnishes a second team, which takes 

 high place for careful study. The Frome Boys 

 if not quite so near the top as last year, still stand 

 first in the county for drawing, their studies of }:>lant 

 life being wonderfully good. Individuals essays 

 in the sets from Exford and the Castle Cary Boys 

 rank with the best in the whole competition. All 

 these teams have learned to use their eyes and 

 their intelligence when out in the fields and lanes, and 

 to record their observations in a pleasant manner. 

 There is observation also, and more or less 

 originality, in the work from the schools that are 

 Highly Commended and Commended ; but closer 

 and fuller detail, going beyond the obvious features 

 of the subjects chosen, is needed. 



Somerset may be congratulated not only on a 

 high standard of work, but as the only county able 



to send in two Teams for the Inter-County Com- 

 petition, and as the winner of the Shield. 



WARWICKSHIRE. 



Challenge Shield : Henley-in-Arden Council 

 School. Second Prize : Elborow School, Rugby. 

 Third Prize : Middleton School, Tamworth. 

 Certificates of Excellence : Atherstone Girls' School '■> 

 Forshaw ; Kineton. Highly Commended : Bad- 

 desley Clinton ; Brailey ; Murray Boys, Rugby ; 

 Temple Balsall ; Westwood. Commended : 



Bearley ; Beausale ; Bilton ; Birdingbury ; 

 Meriden ; New Bilton ; Stratford-on-Avon ; Tam- 

 worth ; Ullenhall ; Coleshill ; Coleshill R.C. ; 

 Dunchurch Girls ; Harbury ; Haselor ; Wroxall ; 

 St. Marie's R.C, Rugby. 



The general impression made by the first Bird 

 and Tree essays from Warwickshire is a pleasant 

 one ; much real interest appears to have been 

 awakened, and many of the young essayists write 

 in a fresh and natural style that is agreeable to read, 

 while the amount and accuracy of the information 

 acquired is very satisfactory. Evidence of personal 

 observation is to be found in an unusually large 

 proportion of the papers, and though many of these 

 are slight in substance they take a higher place than 

 more learned essays got up from books. The three 

 sets which secure the prizes are all noticeable for 

 enthusiasm and keen bird and tree watching. 

 Henley-in-Arden wins the Shield through the 

 accuracy and neatness of its records ; Elborow's 

 papers are sympathetic in tone and show careful 

 note-taking ; Middleton sends full notes, but misses 

 important points. In the second class come the 

 painstaking essays from the Atherstone Girls ; 

 graceful and original little papers from Forshaw ; 

 and a pleasantly-written set from Kineton. From 

 the long list of those Highly Commended and Com- 

 mended it will be seen that the contest was a strong 

 one in quantity as in quality. Among the schools 

 sending in good sets of papers may be named 

 Baddesley Clinton R.C, Bilton, Coleshill R.C, 

 Dunchurch Girls, Temple Balsall, and Ullenhall, 

 all of whom have done good work but need to 

 depend less on the aid of teacher and book ; the 

 Murray Boys, Rugby ; Stratford-on-Avon, Haselor, 

 and Westwood, whose papers are much too slight 

 and short, but show a pleasing simplicity and 

 originality. There are also individual essays of 

 special merit from several schools, such as that on 

 the Wren from Bearley, and the Long-tailed Tit, 

 from Kineton ; and some of the papers have good 

 illustrations, notably the tree sketches from Elborow. 

 Warwickshire does not show any originality in 

 choice of subjects, being chiefly responsible for the 

 preponderance of papers on Robin and Oak, 



