CBOWS IN LONDON 29 



food and to roost on one of the turrets every 

 evening, he would not allow any person to come 

 too near him. ** After some weeks of this semi- 

 independent life he finally disappeared, havhig, 

 as I believe, met his end in Kensington Gardens. 

 His old mate ' Jenny,' as she is named, still 

 lives at the Tower. I hear she has just been 

 provided with a new mate. 



Three other crows remain — the carrion crow, 

 rook, and jackdaw, all black but comely, 

 although not beautiful nor elegant, like the 

 bright vari-coloured jay and the black and 

 white pie. Unfortunately they are a small 

 remnant, and we are threatened with the near 

 loss of one, if not of all. The first-named of 

 this corvine trio is now the largest and most 

 important wild bird that has been left to us ; 

 if any as big or bigger appear, they are but 

 casual visitors — a chance cormorant in severe 

 weather, and the heron, that sometimes comes 

 by night to the ornamental waters in the parks 

 in search of fish, to vanish again, grey and 

 ghostlike in the grey dawn. 



It is curious to find that the big, loud-voiced, 

 hated carrion crow — so conspicuous and aggres- 



