154 BIIWS IN LONDON 



birds uet their food, breed, and live most of the 

 time in the open spaces where there are trees and 

 bushes. Even the starHng, which breeds in 

 buildin^i^s, must go to the parks to feed. 



It must also be borne in mind that birds that 

 penetrate into London from the surrounding 

 country — those that, like the carrion crow, live 

 on the borders and fly into or across London 

 every day, migrants in spring and autunni, 

 young birds reared outside of London going 

 about in search of a place to settle in, and 

 wanderers generally — all fly to and alight on the 

 green spaces only. These spaces form their 

 (tamping grounds. As there is annually a very 

 considerable hiflux of feathered strangers, we 

 can see by a study of the map how much easier 

 to penetrate and more attractive some portions 

 of the metropolis are than others. It would 

 simplify tlie matter still further if we were to 

 look upon London as an inland sea, an archi- 

 pelago, al)Out flfty miles in circumference, con- 

 taining a few very large islands, several of a 

 smaller size, and numerous very small ones — a 

 sea or lake with no well-defined shore-line, but 

 mostly witli wide borders which might be 

 described as mixed land and water, with pro- 



