CHAPTER XVI

BIRDS FOR LONDON

Restoration of the rook--The Gray's Inn rookery--Suggestions--On attracting rooks--Temple Gardens rookery--Attempt to establish a rookery at Clissold Park--A new colony of daws--Hawks--Domestic pigeons--An abuse--Stock-dove and turtle-dove--Ornamental water-fowl, pinioned and unpinioned--Suggestions--Wild water-fowl in the parks--Small birds for London--Missel-thrush--Nuthatch--Wren--Loudness a merit--Summer visitants to London--Kingfisher--Hard-billed birds--A use for the park sparrows--Natural checks--A sanctuary described 304

BIBLIOGRAPHY 330

INDEX 331

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PLATES

'THE CROW WITH HIS VOICE OF CARE' _Frontispiece_

'THE SEVEN SISTERS' _to face p._ 24

CARRION CROW'S NEST " 34

PIGEONS AT THE LAW COURTS " 52

WOOD-PIGEON ON SHAKESPEARE'S STATUE " 92

LOVE-SICK COCK SPARROW " 112

FEEDING THE GULLS AT ST. JAMES'S PARK " 148

MAP OF LONDON " 156

VIEW ON HAMPSTEAD HEATH " 176

WHITE HOUSE FISHERY, HACKNEY MARSH " 206

WANSTEAD OLD PARK: EARLY SPRING " 214

BOSTELL HEATH AND WOODS " 226

THE ROOKERY, BROCKWELL PARK " 234

WIMBLEDON COMMON " 256

NEST OF CHAFFINCH " 280

PARK SPARROWS " 290

MOORHEN AND CHICKS " 316

ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT

PAGE PARK SPARROW BEGGING 11

THE LAST RAVEN 21

THE LADY AND THE DAW 60

LONDON CROWS 69

DABCHICK ON NEST 99

LONDON STARLINGS 119

FIELDFARES AT THE TOWER 131

WOOD-PIGEON FEEDING ON HAWS 136

RAVENSCOURT PARK 153

CORMORANTS AT ST. JAMES'S PARK 170

DABCHICK FEEDING ITS YOUNG 189

NIGHTINGALE ON ITS NEST 249

CHAFFINCH 271

STARLING AT HOME 303

DABCHICK'S FLOATING NEST: ST. JAMES'S PARK 329

BIRDS IN LONDON