22 
NATURE NOTES. 
We then arranged the meeting before alluded to (this was in 
April, 1892) which all the children of the three schools were 
asked to attend, each one paying id. entrance fee ; and older 
people were also urged to come and hear an address on the object 
of the Band of Mercy, they paying rather a larger fee. The 
proceeds went towards the payment for the hiring of the hall. 
Our programme consisted of an address from a lady, who is 
much interested in the work ; some recitations and anecdotes 
about animals ; and some Band of IMercy songs, learnt and 
sung by the school-children, and the meeting was very well 
attended. At the close of it I announced that all the children — 
having now heard what the object of the Band of Mercy was 
— who tvished to become members must meet me at their own 
particular school at a certain time on the following Saturday, 
the last da}^ of April, so that we might always look upon our 
Band as having been formed on May Day. Such little points 
always please children, and are a great help in keeping up their 
attention and interest. I also told them that members must 
bring with them 2d. for the medal, id. for the quarter’s payment, 
and gd. for the magazine, which they must pay on joining — the 
Band of Mercy, which was referred to in the last number of 
Nature Notes. 
As was to be expected, a larger number of children joined 
that day from the excitement of novelty and of wearing a medal 
than intended to remain members. But sad as it made one to 
see members drop out of the Band, the money they have brought 
has done good to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty 
to Animals, who supplies the medals and magazines, and so has 
not been wasted. I began by pointing out to the children several 
simple facts, and I explained as simply as I could what are the 
duties of a Band of Mercy member, and told them that I would 
not ask them to make a solemn promise, but merely to say that 
they would try and keep our few rules. The next thing was to 
name the Band. I gave out four names, one of them being 
“ Tennyson,” as I wished them all to know the great interest my 
father-in-law took in the work, and his great and tender love for 
animals. Each child was taken to another room and made to 
write on a slip of paper the name it \vished ; and with only, I 
think, three exceptions in the three schools, “ Tennyson ” was 
unanimously chosen. On hearing of this my father-in-law was 
much pleased. Since then I have held a meeting (or some kind 
friend has done so for me) at the beginning of each month at each 
of the three schools, the day being given out at the school three 
days before, and the children reminded to wear their medals 
and to bring their halfpennies for the monthly magazines and 
their pennies as well on quarter-days. At two out of the three 
schools (Totland and Yarmouth) all the mistresses have become 
members and attend the meetings, and have shown the most 
kindly interest in the Band and its work, and I feel that it is to 
a far greater extent owing to them than to myself that the 
