237 



CHAPTER XIII 



SOUTH-WEST LONDON 



Introductory remarks — Comparative large extent of public 

 ground in South-west London — Battersea Park — Character 

 and popularity — Bird life — Clapham Common : its present 

 and past character — Wandsworth Common — The 3'ellow- 

 hammer — Tooting Common — Tooting Bee — Questionable 

 improvements — A passion for swans — Tooting Graveney — 

 Streatham Common — Bird life — Magpies — Booker y ^ 

 Bishop's Park, Fulham — A suggestion — Barn Elms Park^ 

 Barnes Common — A burial-groimd — Birds— Putney Heath, 

 Lower Putney Common, and AYimbledon Common — De- 

 scription — Bird life — Rookeries — The badger — Richmond 

 Park — Its vast extent and character — Bird life— Daws — 

 Herons — The charm of large soaring birds — Kew Gardens — 

 List of birds — Unfavourable changes — The Queen's private 

 grounds. 



In the foregoing chapters the arbitrary lines 

 dividing the London postal districts have not 

 been always strictly kept to. Thus, the Green 

 Park and St. James's Park, which are in the 

 South-west, were included in the West district, 

 simply because the central parks, with Holland 

 Park, form one group, or rather one chain of 

 open spaces. In treating of the South-west 



