66 BIRDS IN LONDON 



ing such a languishing oT colour ; as we see in old 

 Age, when the natural heat decays, the hair 

 grows grey, and at last white.' 



To return to the subject of the beautiful 

 albino daws, and the numbers sometimes seen in 

 our bird markets. One can only say that the 

 monster London throws its nets over an 

 exceedingly wide area, capturing all rare and 

 quaint and beautiful things for its own delight. 

 Thinking of these wonderful white daws, when 

 I have cast up my eyes to the birdless towers 

 and domes of our great London buildings, it has 

 occurred to me to ask the following question : 

 Is there not one among the many very wealthy 

 men in London, who annually throw away 

 hundreds of thousands of pounds on their 

 several crazes is there not one to give, say, 

 fifty or sixty pounds per annum to buy up all 

 these beautiful albinos, at the usual price of 

 one or two guineas per bird, for three or four 

 years, and establish a colony at Westminster, or 

 other suitable place, where thousands of people 

 would have great delight in looking at them 

 every day P For it would indeed be a strange 

 and beautiful sight, and many persons would 



