BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



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has worked perseveringly for several years, comes 

 out ahead of all the Cumberland schools save one, 

 and takes second place. Closely following, however, 

 c-omo the two previous Shield-winners, Kirkoswald 

 and Greystoke, the latter sending a pa[)er (jn the 

 Alder that is equal to any Tree paper sent in. Two 

 other schools which must be mentioned are St, 

 John's, Keswick, where notebooks have been 

 carefully used, but might have been more amply 

 lillod, and Cargo, where the general level of work 

 done is high. 



hampshirp:. 



An exceptional amount of careful and sym- 

 pathetic observation is contained in the essays 

 from a number of Hampshire schools, some of the 

 papers being made up entirely of original matter 

 gained by enthusiastic study. The competition 

 is very close, not half-a-dozen marks in a total of 

 .sixty dividing those taking the six highest places ; 

 one mark only decides the award of the Shield. 

 This goes again to Sholing Girls' School, whose 

 papers are all admirably done. The Sandown 

 Roys, invariably found among the prize-winners, 

 are again to the fore witii excellent work, but so 

 far as Birds are concerned they are outdone in 

 freshness of observation by the boys of Ridge 

 C.E. School ; the two are accordingly bracketed 

 second. There is a charming spontaneity about 

 the essays on Kingfisher and Wagtail from 

 Ridge, equalling those on Wren and Thrush from 

 Sholing. The girls of St. Peter's, Bournemouth, 

 and of Romsey C.E. School, and the mixed team 

 from Boldre, are but little behind. Heartj- com- 

 mendation must also be accorded to the Holme 

 School, Headley ; Bramshaw ; Copythorne ; St. 

 Joseph's R.C., Christchurch ; Barton Stacey ; 

 Laverstoke ; Awbridge ; Hinton Ampner, and 

 Wickham. 



NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. 



The Northants Shield is well contested, and the 

 ■winners, the Victoria Council School, Welhng- 

 borough, ha\e done most careful and painstaking 

 work in order to secure the trophy. The Tree 

 jjapers are remarkably full, close, and acciuate ; the 

 Bird papers also show intentness of observation, 

 but the boys must be warned against too much 

 meddling with nests and young. The second place 

 is taken by Harleston Council School, and the third 

 by Rushden (Alfred Street) ; both of these teams 

 disjjlay industrious observation. Xery close behind 

 come Cold Higham (C.E.). Rrar.nston, and Rocking- 



ham ; all denote genuine and enthusiastic study* 

 Particularly good essays are also sent in by Badby, 

 Weedon (Girls), and Irthlingborough, and promising 

 work from a rnuuber of otlier schools. Some (jf the 

 individual jjajjors, such as tliat on " Our Starlings " 

 from Braunton, have a jjjeasant personal touch 

 that the judges would be glad to find in the work 

 more often. A word of congratulation must be 

 given to Blatherwycke Council School, which with 

 an attendance of fifteen scholars sends essays from 

 four. What school can now say that it is too small 

 to start the work? 



SOMKKSETSHIK!-;. 

 Essays from two schcjols stand out cons|)icuousjy 

 among the interesting papers which can always bo 

 looked for from this county. If age were taken into 

 consideration in the school-against-school com- 

 petition, the highest award would undoubtedly go 

 to Exford, where the work is wonderfully good 

 and original even without allowance for the fact 

 that only two of the team are over 12 years of age. 

 Education in the best sense of the word is evidently 

 given to the children of this Exmoor village ; and 

 another year should place the Shield in their posses- 

 sion. This year the boys of Frome C.E. School 

 (only two of whom are under 12) are again successful, 

 with fine work on a high le\'el of excellence ; but 

 Exford runs them very close. The Frome drawings 

 are, as usual, remarkable for acciurEicy and 

 delicacy. Tlie Tree jjapers from the Oldfield Girls' 

 School, Batli. are first-rate and are excellently 

 illustrated ; those on Birds, though careful and 

 nicely written, are less whoUy successful, ]>erhaps 

 because the birds chosen have not greatly excited 

 the writers' interest, Cleeve and Wembdon niust 

 be coinniended for intelligence in observation which 

 should lead to closer study. 



WARWICKSHIRE. 



The Warwicksliire Shield goes again to Henley-in- 

 Arden school-team, winners in 19US. Their essays 

 are very well done indeed, the Trees exceptionally 

 so, while neatness of diction and handwriting, and 

 clever pen-and-ink-drawings, add to the effect of 

 carefvd study. So far as Birds are concerned, they 

 have a strong rival in Mancetter. The papers on 

 Wren and Ivingfisher from thLs school fiu-uish 

 really charming records, carefully and faithfully 

 kept, of daj-by-day observations, appended to a 

 general description. The method is not quite so 

 happy in the case of the Trees. Middleton, winner 

 in 1909, sends excellent Tree papers; those on 



