BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



67 



valuable to the children than this study, which 

 roused their interest and their powers of observation ; 

 and in congratulating the Team he still more cordi- 

 ally congratulated the master, Mr. Cooper, who set 

 them on the road to success. The Rev. J. S. Turner, 

 chairman of managers, who presided, also spoke 

 highly of the value of tho Competition, and of the 

 objects of the R.S.P.B. About 180 children sat 

 down to tea, which was followed by the appearance 

 of Father Christmas with presents, etc. 



Baddesley Clinton R.C. School held their fete 

 day on January 22nd, the enthusiastic proceedings 

 including the planting of a damson tree (the gift 



of Mr. Dering, of Baddesley Hall), a short pro- 

 gramme of songs, a lecture on the " Beauties of 

 Nature," by the Rev. B. Grafton, chairman of 

 managers, and distribution of prizes, and also of 

 sweets and cake given by Mr. Grafton and Mr. 

 Charles Ash. At the Murray Boys' School, Rugby, 

 Mi'. George Over gave an instructive address and 

 some hints on " How to Observe " were imparted 

 by Mr. E. Hollowed, winner of the Warwickshire 

 Natural History Society's prize for essays in 1907 

 and 1908. Elborow (second prize), Middleton (third 

 prize), the Atherston Girls'' School and others have 

 also had first celebrations of Arbor Day. 



usr 



A Story of Two Thrushes. 



UcT 



The following little sketch from life 

 appeared in the Evening Standard' of October 

 22nd, 1908, under the heading "Birds of 

 the Air " :— 



" Walking back from Chambers. I looked in at 

 a bird-fancier's, having promised to get some seed 

 for my wife's lark. Birds of all sorts around me ; 

 poor little prisoners, recently incarcerated, hopping 

 their tiny course in infinitesimal cages in an agony 

 of restraint, and solemn habitues meekly accepting 

 the grim fact that they are in for ' a lifer.' I 

 had time to take stock of these matters, for there 

 was already a customer in the shop, a young lady 

 in a white frock, a country-bred one, as one could 

 see at a glance, with a wind-swept, clear com- 

 plexion and wistful blue eyes hovering from cage 

 to cage in a way that spoke of quick sympathy with 

 bird-life. Just now she was in treaty for two 

 Thrushes, with which she presently retired in a 

 hansom. 



'" ' That's the sort o' customer as we doesn't often 

 'ave. sir,' said the bird-fancier. ' Them two 

 birds is to get their liberty, they is, down Hampshire 

 ways somewheres. Young lady can't abide to see 

 a bird in a cage — says it ain't nat'ral. ' : Crule, I 

 calls it," says she, and so now and agin she comes 

 to our place just to buy a bit o' freedom as might 

 be for a bird or two. No, sir, it don't make no 

 difference to our trade, it don't ; all's one whether 

 folks takes 'em to cage or to free 'em. Say truth, 

 sir, I 'as a goodish bit o' love for birds myself, I 

 'as. though you mightn't to think it, looking to my 

 trade. I 'as my bread to earn, but I often wish 

 as I could take and give the game up, I does. Let 

 alone my feelin's, it ain't all beer and skittles, bird- 

 fancying ain't, not nowadays. What with close 

 time for this 'ere bird in one county and for that 

 in another, there's a deal of risk in the catchings of 

 ei n. there is. There's your seed. sir. Threepence. 

 and thank you, sir." 



" As I walked homewards I thought much of the 

 young lady and her birds, feeling how I should enjoy 

 seeing them set free. I stepped out with a sense of 

 liberated wing and a gasp of freshened air, and when 



I took the bird-seed into Agatha's room I was moved 

 with pity for her lark, with its quasi-pinioned wings 

 and its great liquid black eye reproaching me for 

 being accessory to its imprisonment. 



" Woidd Agatha care to set it free ? She says. 

 ' No, she certainly would not — that it woidd not be 

 really kind, that it has got accustomed to the cage, 

 and loves it.' 



" I rather seem to have heard a similar tale before 

 from so-called bird-lovers." 



By a coincidence the second chapter of 

 the story has reached Bird Notes axd 

 News from the " young lady " concerned. 

 It is unhappily true that " it don't make 

 no difference to our trade whether folks buys 

 'em to cage or to free 'em," but it makes a 

 good deal of difference to the individual 

 bird. 



The two Thrushes were placed for ten 

 days or so in a large aviary, roughly con- 

 structed of wire netting, in a shrubbery, in 

 order to accustom them to a freer life, and to 

 picking up their own living before they were 

 released entirely. For these birds were about 

 two years old, and had been in captivity for a 

 year and five months. One of them died, 

 and a post-mortem examination revealed 

 diseased lungs and liver, the result, as may 

 be reasonably supposed, of cramped un- 

 natural life in a small cage and a birdshop 

 atmosphere. The other bird was not seen 

 for some little time after liberation. It was 

 June, and no doubt he hid among the leaves. 

 But he happened to be a pied bird, and 

 therefore easily recognisable, and after a 

 while was not only seen, but appeared at 

 once to notice the whistle of the lady who had 

 purchased his freedom, and who had made a 



