82 



BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



ueT Bird^and-'Tree (Arbor) Day. .^sr 



CHALLENGE SHIELD COMPETITIONS. 



Three things combined this year to reduce the 

 amount of work sent in for the competition. Last 

 year's break in the arrangenjents, owing to the 

 change in dates, slackened interest — other subjects 

 taking the place of Bird-and-Tree study ; the 

 Coronation festivities interrupted work of every 

 kind ; the abnormal heat rendered effort almost 

 impossible. That so many really admirable essays 

 should have been written with a thermometer over 

 80° does infinite credit to all concerned. Intelligent 

 observation is more than ever the dominant note. 

 The commoner and more conspicuovis birds are still 

 usually taken, but this time the Wren has leaped 

 into sudden popularity in every county, and the 

 Tree-creeper, Green Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Shrike, 

 and Goosander figure on the lists. 



The Judges were : Mr. Montagu Sharpe, the Rev. 

 J. G. Tuck, Mr. Ernest Bell, Mr. G. A. Freeman,B.Sc., 

 Mr. W. H. Hudson, Mr. T. Hastings Lees, Mr. 

 Mr. J. R. B. Masefield, Mr. A. Trevor-Battye, Miss 

 Clifton, and Miss Gardiner. 



INTER-COUNTY COMPETITION. 



The Inter-County Shield goes to the Victoria 

 Council School, Wellingborough (Northants). The 

 essays are not eqiial in style and feeling to those 

 sent in from Buckland, the last winners, but they 

 show acute and studious observation. Sholing 

 Girls' School (Hampshire) is given second place ; 

 Henley-in-Arden (Warwickshire) and Melmerby 

 (Cumberland) are equal thirds ; and the work from 

 all the comities competing is imusually equal in 

 merit. 



BEDFORDSHIRE. 



The advance made by the Bedfordshire Schools 

 since they started work for the competition is very 

 striking, and the reading of the essays this year 

 has been a pleasant task. It was no easy matter 

 to decide whether Mogerhanger or Wobvirn Boys 

 Council School should be placed first, but the 

 admirable observation notes from Mogerhanger 

 give precedence to that school ; both boys and 

 girls seem to have put their hearts into their work. 

 Woburn, however, is a capital second. The Bird 



papers in particular are first-rate, and mention may 

 be made of H. A. Lewis's paper on the Goosander, 

 and Hubert Pratt's sketch of the Mallard. Potton 

 Council School comes third, observation and draw- 

 ings both being most creditable. Where are the 

 Wobvxrn and Potton girls ? Have they, too, not 

 eyes to see and ears to hear ? Other schools to 

 be commended are Clophill, Thurleigh (which should 

 be high up in the competition for 1912, seeing that 

 six of the competitors are under 12), Kensworth, 

 and Lidlington, but the last-named team has trans- 

 gressed the rales by writing three papers on one bird. 



BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. 



For the third year in succession Stony Stratford 

 National School carries off the Shield, by reason of 

 the originality, accuracy, and careful detail con- 

 spicuous in the essays, which are even better than 

 last year's. An essay on the House-Martin is really 

 remarkable for a girl of 13. Next year this school 

 will be entered in the Inter- County Competition 

 only, so that other teams in the county may have 

 a batter chance. Among these. Princes Risborough, 

 Ellesborough, and Coleshill take a high place, and 

 it is difficult to say which sends in the best work. 

 Genuine observation and a bright intelligence 

 characterize all the papers, those on Trees being 

 usually superior to those on Birds, because of lack 

 of attention to the notes of birds and their habits 

 outside the nesting season. Excellent descriptions 

 of the Pear, Whitebeam, and Sycamore come from 

 the three schools respectively, and a notably good 

 paper on the Moor-hen from Coleshill. 



CUMBERLAND. 



Results in Cumberland are somewhat of a surprise, 

 the Shield being won by a school which has not 

 previously been among the prize-winners. Melmerby 

 succeeds by virtue of its admirably written essays 

 on Treas, which give true and graphic descriptions 

 in short space. The team's papers on Birds is 

 not so good as those from either Kirkoswald or 

 Morland and Newby (Westmoreland). The Kirkos- 

 wald team, on the other hand, write much better 

 essays on Birds than on Trees (one, on the DiiDjier, 

 especially good), and there is a pleasant sincerity 

 about all the essays ; but Morland School, which 



