THE KIWIS WRITE OF THE WONDERS OF NATURE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 275, 3 November 1933, Page 15

THE KIWIS WRITE OF THE WONDERS OF NATURE

SENIORS. If we wander forth into the fields •nd lanes on a bright fipring day we ehall find the wild flowers bursting into fcloom all around us, turning our path into a milky way of white and yellow Stars. Rambling along further we arrive at meadows carpeted with the rich yellow buttercups and dainty white daisies, while further along still we find banks garnished with the white Tobes worn by the beaked parsley. There are many plant* like this one ■nd you may confuse it with the cow rarsnip. The last-named, however, is ■ stronger looking plant. It has a larger and darker-coloured flower-head, •ith ribs underneath, like those of a pninll parasol. The leaves arc much pi»rc finely built and the whole plant is hairy. It flowers later in the season than the beaked parsley and is one of The last to bid us adieu in Autumn.. Love to all. —Prize of to Lily of the Valley, aged 12 years, Otane Nature has a charm that nothing else nn earth ran equal Th* mightv forests. «i!ent ice field*, and the painted deserts are more entrancing than big cities. The love of the wood’ is n jnost delightful study. Learning the tames of plants and animals, the songs habits of birds, and tracking the

brilliant-winged butterflies in tropical lands, are some of the most enjoyable pastimes imaginableNature offers many wonderful adventures to her followers, especially tu the pioneers, who seek her choicest treasures. But she builds true steadfast men, to whom the singing waterfalls, lofty countains, rushing snow-fed rivers, and beautiful bushlands, form part of their lives. When once you have tasted the joys of the seashore, the bush glade, the still, shimmering lake, or the lofty mountain-peak, you will see that no city can offer beauty or pleasure to compare with that of Nature. —Pink Certificate to Valentine Robin, age 12 years, Hastings. Mother Nature has been very busy giving the country a good old shower bath these last few days, and everything is looking fresh and green. To me the sweet peas are one of nature’s wonders, the way they cling on so tightly to anything within reach, their fragile tendrils just like a baby’s fingers clutching some object. When they reach to the top of one piece of wire netting, the little feelers seem to be seeking for something higher still to take hold of. and when I place another piece of netting above them, in quite a short time they are clinging on to it, ever so tightly. But what puzzles me is that no matter how long I watch I never see the sweet peas actually take hold of the wire netting. Love to all the Kiwis. —Pink certificate to Hibiscus, age II years. Hastings. Last year I wrote about the thrushes’ nest in a tree in our garden. The nest had then been used three seasons by the birds, who had successfully hatched out in that time twelve young thrushes. Early this spring I remembered the old nest and went to look at it, only to discover it looking very old indeed; in fact, while standing underneath it. I could see a patch of blue sky shining through a big hole in the bottom. “I must pull the old nest down. The thrushes will not come back this year," I said. However, I forgot about it until quite recently, and imagine my surprise the other day, to find it mended, and a brown thrush, busily feeding wriggling worms to four little upstretched wide open beaks. I know now that different birds use the nest each season, as this year’s pair are much darker. —Pink certificate, Piki Haere. age 11 years, Hastings.

I was in the bush at Kereru with my father. Spring had lent glory to the trees. From far away came the harsh rasp of a sawmill, and it cut up more ' trees still. A trail of wreckage marked how the hungry monster had devoured the trees. However, Kind Nature had compensated for this loss by adding more beauty to the remaining trees. A thick, soft carpet of leaves formed a bed for countless tiny ferns, pushing green fronds through the soft, moist earth. In the valley below was the jingling of chains, as six sturdy horses pulled their weight at a heavy load. The drive home was pleasant. The golden kowhai bloomed by the roadside, while in the distance could be seen a yellow mass —gorse. Spring had indeed laid hold on the country. The shrill chattering of a magpie was drowned as, clear and beautiful, the tui called. Love to all. —Pink certificate to Buster Brown, age 11 years. One fine da; ia spring, when my mate and I were out looking for a place tc build a nest, we heard some boys climb tug trees, so we flew away. Me found a sheltered spot in a bush not far away We found a sheltered spot in a bust not far away, and we began to build with straw and wool. The nest wai finished at last. Two or three days afterwards a boy came along and spied my nest, which had two pretty little eggs in it. He climbed the bush and j very frightened Then I »a*

his head, and in fear of getting caught I flew away. I watched him take the nest away, and as he was getting down the nest slipped out of bis hand, and, oh, the eggs smashed and the nest broke up. 1 was very sad and I told my mate all about it. With love to the Kiwis and yourself. —Pink Certificate to "Fantail," age II j cars, Maugateretere. One day last year when 1 was out on a Nature walk, I saw a nest right at the end of a passage in an old willow tree. Thinking it might be a kingfisher’s nest, I returned the next day with a tomahawk and chopped a hole in the trunk, only to find it was a starling’s. I took one egg home for my collection. On returning in about ten days, I found the young ones had hatched out, and very ugly they were, too. Their feathers were still in their casings, so the little birds looked to be clad in grey armour. They had their mouths wide open and were making a terrible noise, asking for more food. 1 went down to the tree on Tuesday to see if the starlings had built there this year; but the tree had fallen down and was lying on the ground. —Pink Certificate to "Anno Hathaway," ago 12 years, Waimarama. In the early days of Spring, a magnificent scene is arrayed on the hillsides of New Zealand, whore numerous flocks of sheep with thoir newly-born lambs are seen dotted along the large areas of grassland used for grazing sheep. The farmers are kept exceedingly busy at this time of the year in docking. Docking is a jirocess by which the young lamb’s tail is cut off- The lamb is then put, with hundreds of other tailless ones, in a field in which stand theii matters, waiting impatiently for their babies. In a wonderful way the ewes are able to pick out from the numerous hundreds, their own particular baby or perhaps two. It gives one a pleasant feeling to rise early on a Spring morning and hear the musical sound of a lamb bleating i u a distant field, and then its mother answering it. With lots of love. —Pink Certificate to "Magog," age 11 years, Haumoana. Everyone knows the sparrow, that most common of all British birds. In town or country, the little plain-colour-ed fellow is a familiar figure a lie chirps and hops and fights and picks up crumbs and odds and ends. The sparrow ’s feathers are light grey, brown and black, with a bar of white for the wings. The female is smaller than the male and cannot boast that little black tie under the chin that makes her husband look so smart. Sparrows will build their nest in almost any place—under eaves of houses, In gutter spoutings, amongst ivy and thatching; in fact, in any position where they can fixe their untidy nests. The nests are made of rags, wool, straw, hair—anything they can obtain with a soft lining of feathers. Then the hen lays her eggs, five or six in a brood, and sometimes three broods in the year. The most striking thing about house sparrows is that they are only to be found in places where people live, and to make their meals on the crumbs that are thrown to them or the fruit that is grown. Love to all—Pink Certificate to "Snowball," age 11 years, Hastings. Nature is now in her most beautiful array. Everything is gay and fresh, while the trees are covered with green leaves, and the flowers are of the brightest hues. The willow trees have burst their buds, and green leaves now appear. Of all the flowers in bloom now, I think that the tulips are the picturesque. Really, I think that Nature is wonderful the way she distributes her gorgeous colours. She is to be seen at her very best in the native bush, where man has not destroyed the original setting. When she reigns supreme, all her gifts are seen to perfection. Some try to improve on Nature, but th's is rarely a success. If one is a student of Nature, and observes the different periods through which all things pass in their regularity of life, it is amazing and wonderful. With love to you and the other Kiwis. —Blue Certificate to "Waitemata,” age 12 years, Hastings. Nature is surrounded by wondei, beauty, and mysterj. It is beyond us to explain the euehantineiit that is wrapped up in it. We plant a bulb or sow a seed, that looks an ugly, dead thing to all appearance, and later on the result that we get is a fragile flower of exquisite beauty. Then we have the seasons coming in their proper turn. Spring is the time when Nature wakes up, while in Summer the growth of plant life has reached its full splendour. In Autumn '•* ga'h«r In th*

grain and the fruit.

Lastly comes Winter, when Nature takes her well-deserved rest from her labours, and is hushed to sleep.

We must not forget animal life, how they rear their young in the appointed season. It makes one think about the meaning of all this, and we learn that it is God who gives life to everything. —Pink Certificate to "Mountaineer," age 12 years, Hastings.

As I wandered among the hills, 1 came to a bush-covered valley, and sat

down beside a gurgling stream. Alongside was a moss-covered bank, with clumps of flax at the top, and ferns, together -with native trees, at the base. The bell-like notes of the tuis rang merrily above my head, and intermingled with the soft musical gurgling of the stream. Farther down was a tiny waterfall, splashing over a rocky ledge into a small pool, which was truly Nature's mirror. Suddenly the surface was broken by a trout leaping for a fly, but in a few moments the surface was placid once more. A closer view showed that more than one trout was present, and when they saw me they darted out of sight. With love. —Blue Certificate to "Liana," age 13 years, Hastings. Look at all the things Nature provides for us. There are the forests with their sylvan beauty, the birds with their melodious songs, the flowers with their dainty heads nodding in the breeze, all the animals, and many other things. Looking at the avenue a little while ago it was only two rows of stiff, straight, cold, wintry-looking poplars, but now they have little green leaves, which make it a prettier scene than before. Walnut trees, too, have their young leaves, while our birch trees have had their leaves two or three weeks. Nature provides grass for the animals to eat and she also provides fruit and nuts which we may eat. Also Nature lias given us bees which draw out nectar from the flowers, thus the clever little insects make honey. This all makes us think how great Nature is. Love to all Kiwis. —Pink Certificate to "Billy Boy,” age 11 years, Hastings. If it were not for Nature wo should not be living, because Nature created all living things, coloured the birds and flowers and gave life to the beasts. If seeds are placed in the ground, Nature acts on them, and soon they become plants. Different plants have different times of flowering, some naturally live in tho winter, and others in autumn, but most in spring and summer. In the tropics Nature has been more generous and given even more colour to the creatures than in the rest of tho world. Flowers also are more vivid and plentiful there. Trees are perhaps the most useful of Nature’s supplies, because they give shelter and can be used for firewood. Some are used for timber, telegraph poles, and piles for bridges etc. In winter the plants are protected by this wonderful creator, and brought back to life in spring. With love.

—Blue Certificate to “Songthrush age 12 years, Hastings

All, over New Zealand is beautiful bush growing by lakes and rivers. Amongst this wonderful scenery dwell our native birds, of many varieties, colours and sizes. Most of these are timid, but some, such as the fantail, are born bold and brave. This perky little fellow flies in and out our windows continually, catching our main household pest, the fly. It is a very agile bird because its fan-like wings aid it to turn very sharply in its flight. Then, of next importance comes the tui, a clever mimic and excellent songster. It is nicknamed the Parson Bird because of the white tuft on its breast. Up in a tree it sits quite invisible. singing songs, or sipping nectar. Surely this is a king of birds. As Nature’s birds are so beautiful, our bush should be a New Zealander’s favourite resort. Lore to all Kiwis. —Blue Certificate to “Koekoea,’’ age 12 years, Hastings.

What I find most interesting about Nature is the different kinds of trees and plants with their various shaped leaves and flowers. One of the most common is the dock. It has a wide flat leaf, and when it is dry it looks like a tobacco plant leaf. Another common plant is the violet. It has a leaf shaped like a heart, with a delicate stem. The flower has five petals which are nearly round. There are so many different shaped leaves and flowers. Every different plant I see I take a leaf of and press it in my book. Even weeds have pretty leaves and flowers. Then some of the garden flowers have such a lovely perfume, especially freezias, violets, honeysuckle, daphne, and boronia. —Blue Certificate to “Golden Eagle,’’ age 11 years, Hastings. Nature in all its beauty bursts on us as the sun rises on a fine morning. The golden glow on the water as it peeps above the horizon is a sight tn behold, uith the breakers playing in the foreground. One secs the rugged rocks, among which the seagulls build their nests. Looking across the country, the hills stand out in the distance, with stately trees growing everywhere. Birds build in these and sing to us. 1 think the snow-clad mountains with the sun shining on them is a. lovely sight. Sometimes a mist settles over them, which turns into rain. Another beauty of Nature is a sunset on a summer's evening, with the clouds changing tn red, pink, orange, purple •nd rellon, than once more to their

natural colour. The clouds tell us approximately what the weather will be. Love to you and all Kiwis. —Blue Certificate to “Cinderella,” age 12 years, Otaue.

All around us we see the wonderful signs of Nature. The willow trees with their welcome shade are a pretty green. Just about three weeks ago the fruit trees were in full bloom. Now we see the formed fruit, still very small but growing each day. Then we see the vegetable seeds and plants growing, needing the rain badly to help them on. If we are up early enough in the mornings and go outside we hear the birds singing in the trees, making a cheery sound. Some of the flower gardens are just a blaze of colour. A garden J noticed in particular was one, jvith hundreds of tulips of different colours. All these wonderful things of Nature could not live without the sunshine.

—Blue Certificate to “Jlosemary,” age 11 years, Hastings.

Most of the trees belonging to New Zealand are evergreens. The deciduous trees look very pretty in autumn when they are covered in coloured leaves. After the leaves fall the trees become bare, and then after a while fresh green buds appear. Thrushes, blackbirds, sparrows, and other common birds were introduced into New Zealand. The tui, huia and bellbird belong to our country. One of the most engaging little birds is the fantail. It gets its name from its fan-like tail, which is always opening and shutting. There are two cuckoos (the long-tailed cuckoo and the shining cuckoo) that come to New Zealand every summer. They do not make nests of their own, but lay in other birds’ nests. They generally lay in the nest of the grey warbler and leave the eggs for them to hatch. The warbler has a long, sweet, plaintive note which is usually heard before rain. love, —Red Certificate to “Priscilla Pan,” age 12 years, Otane. Our New Zealand forests are full of magnificent trees. One is more lovely than tho others. Its Maori name is rimu, and means a tear. This tree is called “tear” because its branches droop as if they were sad like those of the weeping willow. Its slender branches are like a graceful green waterfall. There is also our giant kauri tree which grows in North Auckland. Its trunk is tall and straight. This is a very useful tree, as the wood is sometimes used for making furniture, and gum is obtained by tapping the trunk. I his gum is used in the manufacture of linoleum and varnish. Love to all. —Red Certificate to “Ajax,” age 11 years, Hastings.

Nature is a wonderful thing. There are the forests, birds, insects, fish, animals and human beings. One could not do without the other. The birds kill insects and so provide their food. If they did not, the insects would destroy trees and plant life. They also scatter seeds in other parts and thus carry on the work of Nature. What a dull world it would be without the song of the birds. If there were no flowers, how bare it would be; they brighten up the whole world with their colour and fragrance. Irish provide food for human beings and everything has its own purpose. Lovo to all the Kiwis. —Red cert' ite to Arthur Smith, aged 13 years, Hastings.

Nature is a wonderful thing as every living creature was given by her. How could we live without birds as we would bo swarmed with insects. The world would be very unhappy if there were no bird songs to cheer it in the early morn. It is Nature who gives us the trees and native ferns which we think so much about. We would not have the rivers or seas if Nature had not given thorn to us and people would die of thirst. We all love the birds and do not like to see the boys rob their nests. Our mothers would not like people to come and take their babies, and neither do the birds. We can now see what a wonderful thing Nature is. Love to all Kiwis.

—Red certificate to Linda Lee, aged 12 years, Hastings,

Buds now bursting their brown heads out into the open air, seem delighted to feel how warm tho sunshine is. The trees whisper in the day-time “How hard Nature works to make everything so bright and happy."’ Nature must have wonderful power to make such graceful shrubs and t ushes. The delicate little leaves peep out into the world to find its sweetness. Every mortal thing sparkles in the sunshine. The birds tweet-tweet iu the tree-tops, telling of the spring Nature has made for us. The rapid wings of bees fly from flower to flower in search of honey. We all seem glad spring has coine after the long dreary days ot Winter. Love.

—Orange certificate to Cloudy Bar aged 11 years, Otane.

Nearly all the native birds of New Zealand are dark. The thrush, though very common, is not a native, as it was imported from England. It is smaller than a black-bird and its shape is very graceful. Its eyes are like small brown beads. It has very sharp ears near the end of its beak. This pretty little bird can hear the worms in the ground. Thrushes build their nests in hedges or in low trees. The nest is made with straw, mud, and soft things. The eggs are blue and speckled with brown. After the eggs have been sat on for three weeks, nestlings appear. The parents let the birds slay in the nest for nine days and then teach them to fly and catch their own food. Love to all the Kiwis. - —Orange certificate Io Granny Bon not, aged 12 leans, Hasting-

1 would like to tell you about my walk to Havelock. My Auntie and I left home one Sunday at 2.30. As we were walking along the Havelock road we noticed how the fruit trees were well out in blossom and the little green leaves making their appearance. The paddocks were beautifully green and fresh looking. There were some cows and sheep grazing peacefully in the green paddocks. I’m sure they must all be thankful that there is plenty of nice green feed for them to eat. Coming home it was milking time and we saw the cows being driven to their bales to be milked. When half way home we were given a lift in a car. —(No age).—Golden Wattle, Hastings. JUNIOR ESSAYS. 1 have seen the national flower of New Zealand growing in its native home —the bush. It is the yellow kowhai, and its flower looked beautiful amongst the green leaves of the trees. It attracts the birds, bees, and insects. The glorious notes of the Bellbird rang out through the bush, and sounded like the tinkling of bells, lhe Tui also had some wonderful notes, but has a much deeper tone than the Bellbird. I tried to see him, but he kept well hidden in the thick branches of a rata tree. Evidently he had come to see if there were any berries ripe, but they were all green. There were many native trees there, rimu, matai, totara, white pine, and many that I have forgotten the names of.

—Prize of 2/6 to Rawhiti, aged 10 years, Hastings.

Please may 1 join the Kiwi band? I think the garden spider’s web is wonderful. It is very interesting to watch a spider spinning a web. First she makes the cross lines, and then spins between these threads to fin'sh the web. This is a good trap for flies, and insects on which the spider lives. —Pink certificate to Dutch Girlie, aged 6 years, Hastings.

Nature is the loveliest thing in the world. There is no music so sweet as bird-song and running water, and no painted picture could be so lovely, as the hills and gardens and rivers we see every day. It is Nature which tells the seeds when spring is coining and teaches the birds how to sing. Every year Nature makes the flowers come exactly like last year's, and teaches every bird its own song. Nature shows the young birds which berries and seeds are good to eat, and how to escape from hawks, and to know that traps are dangerous. Boys and girls who live in the country know more about Nature than town children do.

—Pink Certificate to “Blue Teddy,” age 9 years, Hastings.

I am going to tell you about a thrush who has built his nest in our plum tree. For days we watched him gather bits of straw, wool, and he even took pieces of wool off Mum’s floor mop. Wasn't he cheeky, Chief Kiwi? At last his nest was finished. The other day we climbed up to have a peep in, and there were three little blue eggs with brown spots on them. The mother bird sits on the nest, and the father bird sings to her. Won’t they be glad when they have wee baby birds?

—Pink Certificate to “Biddy,” age 7 years, Hastings.

I have been watching the trees, and they seem to wonderful to me. First their little green buds are just like a little baby and then they open out with a lovely bright green, and seem to say

“Here I am, come and take shelter, one and all.” Lately I have noticed a lot of trees passing here on lorries. They make me feel very sad to think they have been eut down by man, when they were meant to be homes for little birds. I was wondering if any of my family was made homeless and babyless. I can just imagine some of my birds coming for a feed and then flying home to find their nesting tree gone. Isn’t it sad? 1 would write a lot more about my feeling toward the lovely trees, but I would be overstepping the limit.

-•-Pink Certificate to “Wallflower,”

What a lot of things Nature provides for us. Nature and its movements are very interesting, because a lot of Nature’s gifts are known as still life. I planted some beans two weeks ago, which looked like stones to me, and I have been watching for their movement every day. Yesterday they started to show through just like a big wire staple, only a pale green colour. Soon they came right up. bringing the bean on one end. The inside of the bean formed the first two leaves. Soon two more appeared from between the first two, and so on as the plants grow up until they flower. When the flowers die off, little beans appear, and grow about five inches long then they are ready and provide a good food for us. With love. —Pink certificate to Keith Goldsbrough, aged 8 years, 702 Beech road, Hastings. (Did you construct this essay entirely by yourself, Keith? It seems wonderfully good for your age.—C.K.) 1 am writing about birds as I like them best of all. The peacock is about the prettiest, with its beautiful tail. When it spreads it out it is just like a fan. The quail is a bluish grey colour and the nude bird has a black and white feather sticking out of its head. Another pretty bird is the kingfisher with bright blue feathers. Even the most common birds like the sparrow, thrush, blackbird, r ';arling, are all interesting to study. The canary sings so sweetly. Even some magpies and parrots can talk like we do. There is a thrush which I see every day on our la«u. It digs ite> L :‘k 'll ' the ground

and brings up a worm. When it has a beak full it flies off to a tree where it has a nest with some young ones in it. Love to all Kiwis and yourself.

—Pink certificate to Parrot, aged 9 years, Hastings.

One morning last week 1 lay awake very early listening to various sounds, and wondering what they were all about. 1 could hear the bellow of a distant cow, and the baa-ing of sheep, then a thrush began whistling, and every now and then our rooster would answer the crow of another rooster. About all, and sweetest to me, was the singing of our canary. I wondered again what it was all about. It was breaking day, and they seemed to be talking and singing to one another or was it their welcome to the lovely day that followed? They seemed to follow one another almost as sure as night follows day, and I marvelled at the beauties of Nature as they were being made evident to me. With Jove.

—Pink certificate to Bubbles, aged 10, Hastings.

One of the prettiest sights of Nature I have seen this year was a garden of pear trees m blossom on the Havelock road. It was just as if a snow storm had been. All you could see was a mass of white blooms. We had two birds’ nests in our trees, a blackbird’s and a thrush's nest. Every day ] used to have a peep at the birds sitting on their eggs. One day I looked inside the nest while the mother bird was off, and 1 saw four little birds with great open mouths. Now all the little birds have flown away. Last Friday, when it was blowing hard one of the nests blew down.

—Blue certificate to- Floris, aged 9 years, Hastings.

When wc lived in the country we used to like the Spring because of warm weather and the various changes we noticed in Nature. Blackberries are verypeculiar. First comes the flower, second the green berry, third the red berry, and last the delicious black berry, which wo gathered and made into jelly. Then there was the karaka tree, which had beautiful flowers, and after the flowers were gone the berries were left. We used to eat these berries. This tree attracts beautiful wild pigeons, who come to eat the berries. Every year we would see the young pheasants and quail. Before the young quail get their feathers to fly they run very fast. The cock pheasant is verybeautiful. It has many different coloured ftathers. When the bright sun shines on the feathers even more col-

ours seem to appear. Love to all Kiwis. —Blue Certificate to “Butterfly,” age 10 years, Hastings.

The bush is one of Nature’s beauty spots, with its wild ferns and creepers and tree-ferns growing. The birds fly about building nests here and there, rearing their *young and S’ngmg gaily. In the paddocks the sheep and iambs are feeding happily. Sometimes the lambs play about, skipping and jumping to their hearts’ content. While walking by the river in the shade of the willows, looking at the yellow lupins and the golden gorse, we saw two dogs hunting about in the bushes. Suddenly one of them made a dart into a bush and brought out a baby rabbit. We strolled to the river and began looking under the tone for fish. A baby eel darted out as we lifted one of them, and swam to deeper water. While sitting down in the shade of the trees we saw high in the air a large dragon fly darting about.

With love to all. —Blue Certificate to “Strongheart,” ago 9 years, Otane.

Years ago the New Zealand forests were very beautiful with fine big trees of rata, tawa, rimu, pine, matai, and wattle. Growing beneath were pretty vines and hrubs, and lovely ferns of all kinds grew by' the streams. Waterfalls made a beautiful sight, but they were not appreciated to the extent they are to-day by the people. It is now realised that these mighty forests are becoming scarce, so those which arc left are being kept us scenic reserves, and no person may destroy these beautiful growths of Nature. To-day tourists come and visit these forests to admire their beauty. With love. —Red Certificate to “Fairy Bell,” age 10 years, Otane. 1 have noticed the little birds were early building their nests this Spring. They gathered straw, twigs, horsehair, and many other thing for building purposes. Everywhere you hear young lambs bleating for their mothers, and you sec them gambolling about. In many' paddocks are to be seen numbers of small calves, and I have seen a little foal. Chickens and baby ducks are running in their pens. To-day I saw a mother and father and a lot of baby quails feeding alongside the road. I think it is wonderful to see the babyanimals around at this time of the year, —Red Certificate to “Thrush,” age 10 years, Hastings. As I walk along the road to school 1 look around and see the wonderful things of Nature. The flowers and fruit trees are in bloom. The bees are very busy gathering the honey and pollen from the blooms and clover. The little birds arc making their cosy nests. We have a garden which is looking very nice, and we watch the beans and peas growing in it, also the little seeds .that shoot through the ground.

Spring-time is the season we sec Nature at her best, The leaves on the

trees and the grass in the meadows are all a lovely green colour. Nature makes all things beautiful. Love tn all Kiwis. —Bed Certificate to "BsUbirfl,” age 7 years. Hastings.

Mr Johannes Andersen esms to school one day and ho gave us a lecture on birds. He told ns if yon planted trees how you would get the birds back, for it is surprising hew far birds will come to the trees they like. He told ue, too, that someone had planted bluegum trees in Havelock end got the tui and bellbird’s song and the woodwas about the difference between the tui and beliibrd’s song and the woodlands song. He told us a skylark’s song was repeated, the blackbird’s and thrush’s sonk had a hundred notes or so, which they repeated quite often. (To be continued.)

—Red Certificate to “Tinker Bell/' age 10 years, Mangateretere.

Nature has her work to do the same as we have. Mother Earth to keep in order, the trees to be clad in a beautiful coat of green for the Spring. The wind with its monotonous sound as ii passes with a rustle through the trees. In the Spring the flowers open their glossy, silk buds as they drink in the sweet, clear, fresh air nature has provided for their use and ours. One seen a wattle tree clad in its rich yellow blooms pouring forth its gold for all to enjoy. Nature alee made the birds that twit and sing gaily in the evergreens. Where would we be if nature had not provided us with food! What a wonderful thing Nature is, and what would we do without her. Love.

—Red certificate, Marigold, ago IV years, Otane.

Stately, tall trees stand in the natural forest of new Zealand. Great creepers twine in and out the trees while birds sing here and there. The Bellbird’s sweet note rings through the forest, while at night you hear the owl’s note Green mosses make the forest carpet, and also keep moisture for the trees. —Orange certificate, Weka, age 9 years, Hastings.

Yesterday afternoon my sister and X went for a walk. We started off quite early, and when we had walked about three miles we came to Lindsay bush, so we went into the bush and looked at all the beautiful ferns, and the trees with creepers growing up their branches. After we had been through the bush and were going out on to the road, a bull chased us and we ran till we were puffed, so then we went home and arrived quite eafely,

Love to all Kiwis. —Orange certificate, “Nancy Lee,” age 10 years, Waipukuran.

We have four bantams. My sister and I have two each. I call mine Berry and Cherry, and my sister calls hers Goldy and Cheeky. Goldy and Cheeky are setting, and we hope to get some chickens eoon. My birthday is on November 9th. Please may I have a badge 7

—Orange certificate, Heather White, age 6 years, Simla Avenue, Haveloek North.

(I may not send you a badge, Heather, until you have given your assurance that your entries are entirely your own work.—C.K.)

One of the most beautiful gifts oa earth arc trees which with flowers, Nature freely gives us. Nature aas a funny way of doing things, for in the spring she clothes the trees in green and to the flowers she gives new blooms. Then in the winter she again visits the trees and flowers, taking from them their green leaves and blooms. She then leaves them to sleep

away. With love to all the Kiwis and yourself.

Orange certificate, “Lord Nelson,” age nine years, Hastings.

Now the cold days are over and spring is here. There will soon be baby birds about an if ths father and mother birds will be kept busy feeding them all day. Just now they are singing gaily. Baby lambs are frisking about. The farmers are growing their new crops and everybody is kept quite busy once again. Bees are busy, too, going from flower to flower. The flowers arc swaying in the gentle wind, the trees have shoots and leaves on now. Love to all the Kiwis. Orange certificate, Moonrise, age 9 years, Hastings. To-day I am going to tell you about spring. The trees are getting their leaves, and some of the fruit trees are flowering. I think they are lovely. The lambs frisk about in their paddocks; it is nice to watch them. At school we are learning a piece of poetry called “A Breath of Spring.” The birds are building their nests. The mother bird rnnnnnnnnshrdlshrdjshrdlug, plinnnn lays the eggs, then sits on them until the babies eome. They then have to work hard feeding them. The spring flowers are out, the tulips are very pretty, also the Lily of the Valley and others. With love to all the Kiwis. —Orange certificate. Whitedove, age 7 years. Hastings.