62 



B1BD NOTES AND NEWS. 



and the Society then gave notice to all the dealers 



that no more live American birds could be sold. 



The section is as follows : — 



"No person, within the State, shall kill, catch, or 

 have in his or their possession, living or dead, 

 any resident or migratory bird other than a game 

 bird, or purchase, offer, or expose for sale, any such 

 wild non-game bird after it has been killed or caught, 

 except as permitted by this Act." (The Act also 

 covers the skin and plumage.) 



" If/' writes Mr. Dutcher, " you could go with me 

 and see the large number of birds brought into this 

 country from Europe you would realize the necessity 

 that European countries should take some action 

 similar to our own/' 



In an article on " Business in Birds," dealing 

 with the British bird-catcher and bird-dealer, the 

 Pall Mall Gazette (March 9th) says : "As indicating 

 the prodigious turn-over in birds, British and foreign, 

 one of the largest dealers in the kingdom recently 

 claimed that a quarter of a million specimens pass 

 through his hands every year. When it is said that 

 he occasionally sends away six thousand birds at a 

 time, one can understand the extensive character 

 of his operations and also the enormous demands 

 that are made upon the avian population." 



BIRD AND TREE DAY FESTIVALS. 



It is not possible to give more than a brief outline 

 of the festivals held in many schools and parishes 

 to celebrate Bird and Tree (Arbor) Day, and to 

 distribute the prizes given by the Royal Society for 

 the Protection of Birds. The most important 

 gatherings were of course held in connection with 

 the schools winning the Society's County Challenge 

 Shields. 



Bedfordshire. — The Bedfordshire County Shield 

 was presented to Sandy School, and the prizes 

 distributed at the Conservative Hall, Sandy, on 

 December i6th,by the Squire and Mrs. Pym. The 

 Hall, which was gaily decorated, was crowded by 

 the children, their parents, and friends. Interesting 

 speeches were made by the Rev. J. Richardson 

 (Rector) and Mr. Francis Pym on the importance 

 of the work taken up by the Society and the 

 benefits to be derived from nature study. A report 

 of the work done by the girls was read by the Rev. 

 W.Browne, local secretary, and the mistress (Miss 

 Warren) was much complimented on the success 

 of her pupils. A capital entertainment, given by 

 the children, followed. The Shield was afterwards 

 exhibited in a shop window in the High Street, and 

 is now in a prominent place in the schoolroom. 

 The tree-planting took place on February 19th, 

 when an oak tree was planted in the school play- 

 ground by Mrs. Pym, assisted by the winning 

 team, and christened " Bird-tree Oak " ; it is about 

 6 ft. high, and well protected by an iron guard 

 provided by the Squire. 



Berkshire.—" The dear old Shield came on 

 Friday morning. We are all so very pleased to 

 have it back in its old place," writes the mistress of 

 Buckland School (Mrs. Fletcher), which, for the 

 second year, carries off the Berkshire Shield. The 

 festival came off most successfully on November 

 1 8th, and was particularly gratifying for the cordial 

 help given by Church folk, Roman Catholics, and 

 Nonconformists. Mountain-ash trees were planted 

 on either side of the new gate to the school, and 

 the essay on the mountain-ash read at the ceremony. 

 In the afternoon 116 children had tea. Mr. Lock- 

 wood, C.C.(a member of the Education Committee), 

 was present at the evening meeting, which was 

 crowded and enthusiastic, and the prize essays 

 were read and were illustrated by large drawings. 



Cumberland.— The feature of the festival at 

 Burgh-by-Sands was the presentation of the Shield 

 by Canon Rawnsley, its donor. It was designed 

 by Mrs. Rawnsley, drawn by Miss Tremayne, and 

 executed at the Keswick School of Industrial Art 

 by Tom Sparks. The meeting took place in the 

 Public Hall, the Rev. J. Baker presiding, and an 

 address was given by Canon Rawnsley, who also 

 distributed the Society's prizes. Mr. Courtenay 

 Hodgson, Secretary to the County Education 

 Committee, in proposing a vote of thanks to the 

 Rev. Canon, said it was difficult to get teachers for 

 such out-of-the-way places as there were in Cum- 

 berland, because they had not been trained to take 

 interest in country things. In the afternoon nine 

 trees were planted, including a red chestnut, to be 

 known as "Edward VII." 



Hampshire.— A large and distinguished company 

 honoured the gathering (organised by Mrs. Suck- 

 ing) at the Philharmonic Hall, Southampton, on 

 February 18th, when the Hampshire Shield was 

 presented to the Bitterne Park Girls' School by 

 Lady Emma Crichton. Colonel Crichton presided. 

 Mr. W. W. Portal, vice-chairman of the County 

 Council, in a most interesting speech, hoped all 

 present would unite with the Society in the en- 

 couragement of nature study. Mr. D. T. Cowan, 

 Director of Education for Hampshire, said that 

 Bird and Tree Day formed part of a great move- 

 ment which he believed would have a striking effect 

 on the lives of children in our elementary schools, 

 and he trusted interest in it would grow wider and 

 wider until a majority of the schools were trying 

 for the Shield. Mrs. Sumner, xMr. Fowler, H.M. 

 Inspector, Dr. Aldridge, chairman of the South- 

 ampton Education Committee, and Col. Grimston 

 also spoke ; and after the presentation of prizes the 

 girls of the school performed Mrs. Suckling's 

 operetta, " Wings." 



Sandown National School, winners of the 

 second award, also celebrated their success by a 

 public gathering, the Rev. W. T. Storrs, vicar, 

 presiding. There was a procession from the school 

 to the Parish Room, where the prize essays were 

 read, part-songs sung, and the prizes distributed. 

 Mr. T. Wright, in congratulating the school and 

 headmaster (Mr. Prickett), promised a guinea 

 towards the exDenses if next year the Challenge 

 Shield were brought to Sandown. Nine trees 

 were subsequently planted in the school-ground. 



