198 LONDON PARKS & GARDENS 



be done to encourage the growth of wild flowers. 

 It is true notice-boards forbid the plucking of them, 

 and that is a great step in advance — but the sowing 

 of a few species, which have become extinct, would add 

 greatly to the charm of the place. It is also still 

 the favourite haunt of wild birds, and the more the 

 true wildness is encouraged, the more likely they are 

 to frequent it. It is much to be hoped that the 

 London County Council will refrain in their planting, 

 from anything but native trees and bushes which look 

 at home, and which would attract our native songsters. 

 Within the last ten or twelve years a very great variety 

 of birds have been recorded either as nesting there 

 or as visitors. The following list (taken from " Birds 

 in London" by W. H. Hudson, 1898) may interest 

 bird lovers : — 



Wryneck, cuckoo, blackcap, grasshopper, sedge, 

 reed and garden warblers, both white-throats, wood 

 and willow wrens, chiff-chaff, redstart, stonechat, pied 

 wagtail, tree pipit, red-backed shrike, spotted fly- 

 catcher, swallow, house martin, swift, goldfinch, wheat- 

 ears in passage, fieldfare in winter, occasionally red- 

 wings, also redpoles, siskin, and grey wagtail. 



This list is certainly a revelation to those who only 

 associate dusty sparrows and greedy wood-pigeons with the 

 ornithology of London. No better testimony is wanted to 

 prove that Hampstead is still the beautiful wild Heath 

 that has given pleasure to so many generations. 



The only other large space of common land, north of 

 the river within the London area, is Wormwood Scrubs, 

 of very different appearance and associations from Hamp- 

 stead. The manorial and common rights were pur- 

 chased by the War Ofiice, and the ground made over to 



