158 Wilson, First Bird Day in the Commonwealth. [ ,sf"}an 



proposal to hold a Bird Day in schools was brought under the 

 notice of the Minister of Public Instruction (the Hon. A. A. 

 Billson) and the Director of Education (Mr. F. Tate, M.A.), and 

 they, perceiving the value of such a movement, gave their 

 approval and support. The result was that the Minister issued 

 instructions that the first Bird Day should be held on the 29th 

 October, 1909, in all the schools throughout Victoria. A special 

 programme for the afternoon was suggested, and one of its chief 

 features was a field excursion to the haunts of birds, a copy of 

 the list of birds seen, and also a copy of the school " bird list " to 

 be forwarded to the Education Office. 



Bird Day was a great success. The reports from all parts of 

 the State show that the enthusiasm of the parents, children, and 

 teachers was unbounded, that the work done in the last few 

 months has enormously increased the knowledge and love of 

 bird life, and that it is impossible to estimate the value of the 

 movement and the amount of good that will result from it. It 

 has opened the eyes of many to the value of the birds, and 

 has shown what a fascinating study they are. Its effect on 

 the minds of the children will be lasting and productive of great 

 good. Schools report that from 20 to 200 nests have been noted 

 this season, and a pleasing feature of the reports is that the 

 teachers " confidently assert that no birds or their eggs have 

 been harmed during this nesting season." Many instances of 

 " bush tragedies" among the birds, in which the children evinced 

 much sympathy and solicitude for the sufferers, arc reported. 



These results have not been achieved without much labour on 

 the part of those who have guided the movement. In the first 

 place the children and teachers had to be educated in the 

 nomenclature of the birds, and the foundation of this was laid 

 when the " Descriptive List of the Birds of Victoria" was sent 

 to every school in the State in December, 1908. This list was 

 compiled by Mr. J. A. Leach, M.Sc, Organizing Inspector of 

 Nature Study, with assistance from members of the A.O.U., the 

 Bird Observers' Club, and other bird-lovers. Then the illustrated 

 articles on bird life pubh'shed in The Education Gazette have 

 supplied further information, and helped to keep the interest 

 alive. TJie School Paper for October, which was a Bird Day 

 number, and consisted mainly of illustrated articles on all 

 phases of bird life, written by members of the A.O.U. and 

 B.O.C., greatly aroused the interest and stimulated the children 

 in their bird studies. 



Thus for the past few months special attention has been 

 directed to bird life, and when Bird Day arrived parents, chil- 

 dren, and teachers and friends met together and made it a 

 splendid success. 



In the country districts excursions were made to the haunts 

 of the birds. In the metropolitan schools the programme 



