St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-06-26
HORTON BIRD CONTEST

HORTON BIRD CONTEST
Ludger TOussaint Won in First Di-
vision and Vera Craig i'm the Sec
Ond.
The Horton Bird Contests were
held Tuesday afternoon of last week
in the Museum with Is contestants.
The winner in Division l was Ludger
Toussaint who named 38 out of the
so birds shown. Archie Hunter
named 80 birds, Arlene Perrigo 81,
Helen Stearns %, Mary Carpenter
%, Wayne Lurchin and Viola May
20 each, with So contestants.
In Division II, Vera Craig won
the prize by naming 80 of the As
birds shown to this division. Sig
rid Eklof had 81 correctly named,
Stephen Carter SO, Marjorie Cram
ton 80, Ruth Goss and Mildred
Ram 81 each, SterrY Waterman 30,
Marion Stevens 20, Avis Underwood
%, Doris Perry rs, Violet Darling
"a.
In connection with the Bird con-
test, the following letter sent to the
Director of the Museum, will prove
of interest to all who appreciate how
much a knowledge of out-of-doors
enriches life.
Dear Miss Griffin:
l have been simply amazed at
the progress made in bird study by
the young people of the various
grades in our st. Johnsbury schools.
This progress must be extremely
gratifying to you and to all the
teachers who have been so active and
interested in leading in these field
studies. The results as shown at
the bird contests are remarkable,
believe unprecedented.
However, these results have been
accomplished in the main, along
lines of Identification of birds. To
be able to identify the birds is, of
course, important; but to stop there
would be to lose the most interest
ing and most important feature of
bird study. 1t would be like being
able to identify the officers of any
army by their uniforms, without
knowing anything whatsoever about
their duties. The service performed
by the birds in the economy of ma
ture opens up the most interesting
field of bird study. Not only the
most interesting but the most i'm
portant.
Therefore, l would suggest that
those who each year excel in the
examinations, or contests, and are
consequently debarred from further
competition in the line of identifi-
cation of the birds, pass into the
next field of study, the utility of
birds. And that for the best paper,
the best original paper on the sub
ject there would be given, annually
a prize to the writer, of said paper
The value of said paper and the
awarding of the prize being left to
to judgment of a committee chosen
for such selection.
1t will give me great pleasure to
provide such a prize if this meets
with your approval.
Yours sincerely,
(Signed) c. H. HORTON
Result of Tree Contest.
This year, for the first time, were
held tree contests. On Wednesday
afternoon 165 pupils came to the
Museum classroom where they were
shown sprays of thirty trees and
shrubs common in st. Johnsbury.
There were two divisions, graded in
the same manner as were those of
the bird contest, and the prizes, also
SIS gold pieces, were offered by Mr..
and Mrs. George H. Cross.
In division one the prize went
to Marie Ram, who named 27 sprays
correctly, while Ludger Toussaint, |
who had the day previous won the
bird prize, named % trees; Charles
Rogers with FL to his credit; Irene
Powell, 10; Aileen Craig, Hale Go
chez, Frank Hastings, Lyman Tn
derwoOd, and Fred Lougee with Is
each, deserve praise for their good
work.
In division two Marion Stew
ems and Mildred Ram each named
20 sprays. According to the regula-
tions for such a contingency, five
more tWigs were shown them, Mar |
ion naming three, and Mildred Ram !
four, thus winning the prize. Rachel |
Cole had 18; Franklin Carpenter II; |
Josephine Plant, Grace Chalmers, |
Marjorie CramtOn, Carroll Poole and |
Delora Guyer, / 6 each.
The remarkable enthusiasm of the |
pupils for this contest, and their ex-
eellent success in this first years |
study make it seem probable that /
work or a similar nature will be car
ried on each year.