NORTH-WEST AND NORTH LONDON 179 



wings ; also the redpole, siskin, and the grey 

 wao^tail. The resident small birds include most 

 of the species to be found in the county of 

 Middlesex. The bullfnich and the hawfinch 

 are rare. 



My young friend, Mr. E. C. H. Moule, who 

 is a keen observer, has very kindly sent me his 

 notes on the birds of Hampstead, made during 

 a year's residence on the edge of the Heath, and 

 taking his list with my own, and comparing them 

 with the list made by Mr. Harting, published in 

 Lobley's ' Hampstead Hill' in 1885, it appears 

 that there have been very few changes in the 

 bird population of this district during the last 

 decade. 



It would be difficult to make the Heath itself 

 a safer breeding-place for the birds, resident 

 and migratory, that inhabit it. The only plan 

 would be to establish small sanctuaries at suit- 

 able spots. Unfortunately these would have to 

 be protected from the nest-robbers by spiked iron 

 railings, and that open wild appearance of the 

 Heath, which is its principal charm, would be 

 spoiled. 



With the ponds something can be done. 

 There are a good number of them, large and 



X 2 



