252 Bird-Life in London. 



suburbs of London the zone in which roses nourish 

 practically coincides with that in which the martins 

 continue to breed. 



We will only mention one other bird that is, we 

 fear, fast verging on extinction in London, the 

 hedge sparrow. From the nature of its food it has 

 been able to hold out longer than either the fly- 

 catcher or the martin, but we fear that its days are 

 numbered. A few still linger in the Parks, but 

 they are very few and far between. Until within 

 the last year or two a pair always built in the 

 private garden in front of Kensington Palace, but 

 this year they are not to be seen. 



Among the birds that have always been with us 

 in town, and whose numbers are fairly stationary, 

 may be mentioned starlings and jackdaws ; the 

 former have, we think, slightly increased in 

 number, especially in St. James's Park, while 

 the latter are, if anything, less common than they 

 used to be. 



Many birds visit London during their migra- 

 tions. In early spring wheatears may be seen 

 in Hyde Park, and after them come the great 

 army of warblers chiff-chaffs, willow-wrens, &c., 

 the chiff-chaff, from its well-known note, being 

 perhaps the most easily recognised ; many of them 

 stay to rest in Kensington Gardens, but they make 

 but a short visit, soon moving on again to their 

 chosen summer quarters. In the autumn and early 

 winter woodcocks often drop in town, sometimes 

 in most extraordinary places, the overhead wires 



