92 BIBDS IN LONDON 



disturbed, invariably fly to a terrace of houses 

 close by and percli on the chimney-pots, a newly 

 acquired habit. In Leicester Square 1 have 

 seen as many as a dozen to twenty birds at a 

 time, leisurely moving about on the asphalted 

 walks in search of crumbs of bread. It is not 

 unusual to see one bird perched in a pretty 

 attitude on the head of Shakespeare's statue 

 in the middle of the square, the most com- 

 manding position. I never admired that marble 

 until I saw it thus occupied by the pretty dove- 

 coloured quest, with white collar, iridescent neck, 

 and orange bill ; since then I have thought 

 highly of it, and am grateful to Baron Albert 

 Grant for his gift to London, and recall with 

 pleasure that on the occasion of its unveiling I 

 heard its praise, as a work of art, recited in 

 rhyme by Browning's — 



Hop-o-my-thumb, there, 



Banjo-Byron on his strum-strum, there. 



I heartily wish that the birds would make use 

 in the same way of many other statues with 

 w^hich our public places are furnished, if not 

 adorned. 



So numei'ous aie the wood-pigeons at the 



