208 BIBDS IN LONDON 



Marsh from boyhood, and had witnessed the 



sports for very many years, assured me that 



only since the County Council had taken this 



open space in hand was it possible for quiet and 



decent folks to enjoy it. As to the wild bird 



shooting, he was glad that that too had been 



done away with ; men who spent their Sundays 



shooting at starlings, larks, and passing pigeons 



were, he said, a rough lot of blackguards. Two 



of his anecdotes are worth repeating. One 



Sunday morning when he was on the Marsh a 



young sportsman succeeded in bringing down a 



pigeon which was flying towards London. The 



bird when picked up was found to have a card 



attached to its wing — not an unusual occurrence 



as homing birds were often shot. On the card 



in this case was written the brief message, 



' Mother is dead.' My informant said that it 



made him sick, but the young sportsman was 



proud of his achievement. 



The other story was of a skylark that made 

 its appearance three sunnners ago in a vacant 

 piece of ground adjoining Victoria Park. The 

 bird had perhaps escaped from a cage, and was 

 a fine singer, and all day long it could ])e heard 

 as it flew higli above the houses and tlio park 



