22 LONDON BIRDS 



Thou provided for the saints in Heaven, when Thou 

 affordest bad men such music on earth ? " ' 



The beginning of the singing of the Nightingale was, 

 in old Persian calendars, the date for the festival in 

 honour of the return of warm weather. 



Another night-singing warbler to be found at times 

 in London a pair were seen not long ago in the 

 meadow between the powder magazine and ranger's 

 house in Hyde Park is the Sedge Warbler, a pretty 

 little bird, not unlike a Nightingale, with a white line 

 above the eye. ' The Sedgebird,' writes Gilbert White, 

 ' sings most part of the night : its notes are hurrying, 

 but not unpleasing, and imitative of several birds, as 

 the Sparrow, Swallow, and Skylark. When it happens 

 to be silent in the night, by throwing a stone or clod 

 into the bushes where it sits you immediately set it a- 

 singing; or in other words, though it slumbers some- 

 times, yet as soon as it is awakened it resumes its 

 song.' Another pair lately settled for some little time 

 beside the water in Regent's Park. For six or seven 

 years there has been a Flycatcher's nest in Rotten 

 Row. 



The Wren, which, as his name, Regulus, the little 

 king, denotes, has been from earliest times a bird of 

 consideration, is fairly common with us. 



It was a Wren who shared with Prometheus the 

 honour of bringing fire from heaven, and more than 

 once since the family has distinguished itself by taking 

 an independent line in public affairs. In the religious 

 disturbances of Charles ii.'s time, the Wrens were on 



