EAST LONDON 201 



in Victoria Park, and tliis may be tlie reason 

 of the decrease in its wild l)ird life. 



In Victoria Park I have met with some 

 amusing instances of the entire absorption of 

 the chaffinch votaries in their favourite bird, 

 their knowledge of and quickness in hearing 

 and seeing him, and inability to see and hear 

 any other species. Thus, one man assured me 

 that he had never seen a robin in the park, 

 that there were no robins there. Another 

 related as a very curious thing that he had 

 seen a robin, red breast and all, and had heard 

 it sing ! Yet you can see and hear a robin in 

 Victoria Park any day. 



We now come to the famous Marsh. Vic- 

 toria Park is in shape like a somewhat gouty or 

 swollen leg and foot, the leg cut oif below the 

 knee ; the broad toes of the foot point towards 

 London Fields and the north, the flat sole 

 towards Bishopsgate Street, distant two miles ; 

 the upper part of the severed leg almost touches 

 the large space of Hackney Marsh. The Marsh 

 contains 337 acres ; the adjoining North and 

 South Mill Fields 23 and 84 acres respectively — 

 the whole thus comprising an area of nearly 



