Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 2 (1898).djvu/313

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in London must be the ornithological subjects of the many who can seldom escape from the metropolis, or who, with Dr. Johnson, like to feel the high tide of life at Charing Cross. Though the scene of this book is neither laid in the City nor a restricted London, but embraces much suburban territory dear to villadom, including even Richmond Park, the general area is one over which the builder has now much sway, and whose wild nature, where not curtailed, is at least much bricked in. Consequently we are prepared for. the tale which is told. "For many years there have been constant changes going on in the bird population, many species decreasing, a very few remaining stationary, and a few new colonists appearing; but, generally speaking, the losses greatly exceed the gains." The Magpie and Jay still exist at a distance of six and a half to seven miles from Charing Cross, and the Woodpigeons have come to town and apparently come to stay. Both the Moorhen and Dabchick have settled down in St. James's Park; the Jackdaw and Owl are still resident in Kensington Gardens; the Sparrow is always with us, to which in numbers the Starling ranks next, though "the Starlings' thousands are but a small tribe compared to the Sparrows' numerous nation." We have all seen Fieldfares in the suburbs, but in 1896 a few alighted in a tree at the Tower of London. Mr. Hudson remarks the disappearance of the Greenfinch from several localities, and we think that most observers will have noticed the scarcity of this bird round London. Forty years ago it was a very abundant bird round Nunhead, when schoolboy inspection of the store-cages of the professional catcher seldom failed to discover it as the principal captive, and many a "bright" bird have we purchased for a penny. Now the erstwhile market gardens have disappeared, thanks to the industry of the builder and the increase of the population, but Mr. Hudson reports the bird as still sheltered in Nunhead Cemetery.

The great enemy of the London birds is the Cat. "Millions of Sparrows are yearly destroyed by Cats in London," and the author thinks "that not more than two young birds survive out of every dozen of all the Sparrows that breed in houses." The