BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



4:i 



Senior Division. 



Silver Medal and Work on Natural History: 

 A. E. Aldous (Repton) " Tha Lapwing." 



Certificates of Special Merit and Worlds on Natural 

 History : 



J.D. Bell (Bedford), " The Hawks of Bedford." 

 O. Hook (Charterhouse), " Great Crested 



Grebe." 

 J. K. Stanford (Rugby), " The Owls." 



Certificates : 



C. M. Dyer (Clifton), "Blackcap" ; 

 E. R. Wilson (Glenalmond), " Tawny Owl" ; 

 C. T. Cannon (Tonbridge), " Chaffinch " ; 

 B. A. Medley (Winchester), "Moorhen." 



Special Au-ard, Bronze Medal : 



J. M. Charlton (Uppingham), " The Birds of 

 Gigha." 



The essay last named scarcely comes within 

 the rules of the competition, being an 

 account of a fortnight's holiday only, but it 

 shows knowledge and keen interest, and is 

 illustrated with capital sketches. The 



Silver Medal Essay is an admirable piece of 

 work as regards alike originality, accuracy 

 and diction. Bell of Bedford takes second 

 pkce, ;md his written notes marked by excel- 

 lent r.nd genuine observation are accompanied 

 by good photographs. Hook and Stanford 

 are bracketed, the former writing the more 

 interesting and readable paper, l)ut hibouring 

 under the disadvantage of having lost his 

 original notes. Tlie remaining schools are 

 wort! lily represented, Winchester by " Prefect 

 of Hall " ; but the competitors seem as yet 

 hardly to have settled down to the work of 

 close and full observation required. 



Junior Division. 

 Certificati of Merit : 



J. Symonds Taylor (Bedford), " Hawks." 



The Medal in this Division is not awarded, 

 owing to insufficient competition and lack of 

 personal observation in the work. 



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Notes. 



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GOVERNMENT BIRD-PROTECTION. 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries 

 have not gone very far in their intention to 

 include bird- life in their series of leaflets. 

 Ten only of some two hundred and forty 

 leaflets issued by the Board deal with birds, and 

 the last of these was published a good many 

 years ago. In all probability the conflict 

 of opinions has presented many difficulties. 

 In leaflets on field and garden pests, there is 

 rarely indeed any mention of the bird- 

 enemies of these pests. On the other hand, 

 " The Government of New South Wales," 

 says the Adelaide Begister (September 24th, 

 1910), "is jDrinting in the Agricultural 

 Journal beautiful coloured blocks of useful 

 insectivorous birds and devoting a large 

 portion of the letterpress to the subject," 

 while the South Australian Government 

 " are having prepared coloured plates of 

 our protected birds for distribution among 

 the police and m the public schools." 



THE USEFUL TIT. 



Professor Gordon Hewitt, it will be 

 remembered, when reporting officially on 

 the outbreak of larch disease at Thirlmere 

 ill 1907, recommended among other things 

 the encouragement of insectivorous birds, 

 and especially the Tit. Accordingly sixty 

 nesting-boxes were provided the first, year, 

 another one hundred and fourteen added 

 in 1908, and still another one hundred and 

 five in 1909. The results, according to the 

 latest report, are held to be decidedly satis- 

 factory. Tiie number of Tits, Robins, and 

 Starlings has increased considerably, and 

 they feed their young industriously on the 

 larva? of the destructive saw-fly. Food 

 has been provided in \\'inter, but its dis- 

 tribution on the ground having proved 

 extravagant it is probable that food-bells 

 will be provided this winter. 



