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CHAPTEE IX 



A SURVEY OF THE PAKKS : WEST LONDOX 



A general survey of the metropolitan parks — West London — 

 Central parks, with Holland Park— A bird's highway — 

 Decrease of songsters— The thrush in Kensington Gardens— 

 Suggestions — Owls in Kensington Gardens — Other "West 

 London open spaces — Piavenscourt Park as it was and as 

 it is. 



Our 'province' of London is happily not entirely 

 ' covered with houses,' and in each of its six large 

 districts — West, Xorth-west, Xortli, East, South- 

 east, and South-west — there are many hundreds 

 of acres of green and tree-shaded spaces where the 

 Londoner may find a moderate degree of refresh- 

 ment. Unfortunately for large masses of the 

 population, these spaces are very unequally 

 distributed, being mostly situated on or close 

 to the borderland, where town and country 

 meet ; consequently they are of less value to 

 the dwellers in the central and densely peopled 

 districts than to the inhabitants of the suburbs, 

 who have pure air and ample healthy room 

 without these public grounds. 



