BIRD DAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1269, 26 October 1911, Page 5

BIRD DAY.

■ o > AN INTERESTING MOVEMENT. "Bird day" was observed in all ths city, suburban, and country State schools throughout Victoria last Friday week, reports the "Arc." The "Australian Bird Book," by Mr. J. A. Leach, organising inspector of nature study, issued by arrangement ivith the Department a fciv months ago, is materially helping tlio objects for which Bird day was instituted. In his admirable introduction to this work, Mr. Tate, Director of Education, remarks, "Naturo study in our schools is fast producing a generation of Australians trained to look upon the characteristic beauties of our Australian skies, our trees, our flowers, our birds with a passionate appreciation almost unknown to our pioneering fathers and mothers." Other duties in which the Minister and the Director were engaged prevented any central demonstration, but it is proposed to organise a distinctive function next year. The Bird day movement has started in America. In Victoria the Guild League of Bird Lovers has 10,000 members; in South Australia nearly GOOO, while branches exist, in Tasmania and Western Australia., and one has been started in New South Wales. The State schools in Victoria were visited on Bird day by members of the Field Naturalists', Ornithologists and Bird Observers' Clubs, who delivered addresses, and many excursions were held to study birds under natural conditions, and visits were paid to the Zoological Gardens and tiie Museum. School work wont on as usual in the morning. The investigations of naturalists show that Australia has 2!) families of singing birds; the United States, 23; South America, 23; the Indian Empire, 22; and Great Britain, 13,