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BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



usr usr Bird and Tree Day. 



UcT UcT 



INTER-COUNTY COMPETITION. 



Ten excellent sets of essays required the most 

 careful consideration this year before the Inter- 

 County Shield could be awarded ; but, good as are 

 necessarily all those which carry off the county 

 trophies, the best papers still come from the Berk- 

 shire School and the Somerset School, whose 

 repeated successes had made them ineligible for 

 county awards. Buckland and Long Ashton are 

 practically equal, and must have shared the honours, 

 but that Long Ashton voluntarily discloses an 

 infringement of one of the rules, and therefore 

 honourably withdraws its claim. The Buckland 

 team, who accordingly win the Shield, show their 

 customary freshness, intelligence, and originality, 

 and have good subjects in the Whinchat, Fly- 

 catcher, and Nightjar, and in Quince, Norwegian 

 Maple, and Tulip trees ; but there is even closer 

 and more painstaking work in the admirable 

 papers on the Blackcap, Tit, and Wren, the Yew, 

 Acacia, and Sycamore trees, that attest the 

 thoroughness of the nature-study at Long Ashton, 

 to whom the Second Prize and Bronze Medal are 

 awarded. 



Of the remaining essays those from Frome 

 Boys' School, Potton, Rushden (Alfred Street 

 Boys), and Stony Stratford are highly com- 

 mended. 



The Judges for the whole competition were : Mr. 

 Montagu Sharpe, the Rev. Canon Rawnsley, Mr. 

 Ernest Bell, Mr. Harry Cox, Mr. G. A. Freeman, 

 B.Sc., Mr. W. H. Hudson, F.Z.S., Mr. T. Hastings 

 Lees, F.Z.S., Mr. W. Percival Westell, F.L.S., 

 M.B.O.U., Mrs. F. E. Lemon, F.Z.S., Miss L. 

 Pollock, and Miss Gardiner. Their main difficulties 

 arose from a reluctance to pass over much excellent 

 work, showing earnest observation, perseverance, 

 and enthusiasm on the part of boys and girls of all 

 ages from nine to sixteen ; and their task — no slight 

 one — was lightened by the good handwriting and 

 neatness that characterize the majority of the 

 papers. 



COUNTY CHALLENGE SHIELDS. 



Eight counties come into the competition this 

 year, in addition to Berkshire and Westmorland, 

 which, having lost their Shields for want of sufficient 

 competition, continue to send in good work from 

 two or three schools The newcomer, Northampton- 



shire, starts with a high standard of work and a 

 notable variety of bird and tree subjects. Naturally 

 enough, first-year essays commonly adhere pretty 

 closely to familiar species, and only counties which 

 have reached their fourth or fifth year can boast 

 a repertoire numbering between 30 and 40 birds. 

 With a strong partiality for Swallows and Martins, 

 and — of course — Thrushes, Northants totals 29 

 different birds among 108 essays. 



The competition in Somerset and Warwick is not 

 so strong as last year, but there is no falling-off in 

 the quality of the work, which is marked in both 

 counties by much freshness and originality. 

 Hampshire keeps well up to its high level. Cumber- 

 land improves and brings forward several hesh 

 competitors. Buckingham is more satisfactory as 

 to quality (which is admirable) than as to quantity. 

 Bedfordshire manifests a remarkable advance in 

 both respects, and for the first time produces a 

 really strong competition. Norfolk exhibits an 

 almost overwhelming zeal, showing that here at 

 least there is none of the unworthy feeling that 

 might prompt a school to say, " We shall not win 

 the Shield, so what is the use of trying ? " Shields 

 and awards are but a means to an end, and 

 it is hoped that the value of the work itself, 

 both in promoting the fascinating study of nature 

 and in developing the general intelligence of 

 the children, offers reward and stimulus enough, of 

 which prizes and certificates are but tokens and 

 recognition. 



In almost all cases where a school falls out of the 

 competition the reason is found in the loss at the 

 end of the summer term of leading scholars and 

 members of teams. It is proposed therefore to 

 alter the date for the writing of essays from 

 September to July, and to start the year of study 

 in autumn instead of spring. The opinions of 

 teachers on this point, and also as to conditions and 

 rules, will be welcomed. 



The Council of the Society have this year to 

 thank the Education Authorities of the several 

 counties for sending out the notice-papers, and 

 they are indebted to County Directors and Secre- 

 taries of Education for much helpful interest in the 

 work. 



BEDFORDSHIRE. 



Challenge Shield : Potton Council School. 

 Second Prize : Woburn Boys. Third Prize : Temps- 



