196 BIRDS IN LONDON 



desolate overcrowded district to the river, and 

 the vast parishes of Botherhithe, Bermondsey, 

 and Deptford beyond it, to the City and 

 Islington and Kingsland on the north side, dims 

 the atmosphere with an everlasting cloud of 

 smoke ; and Victoria Park is on most days 

 under it. On account of this smokiness of 

 the air the trees, although of over twenty years' 

 growth, are not large not nearly so large as 

 the much younger trees in Battersea Park. 

 Trees and shrubs have a somewhat grimy 

 appearance, and even the grass is not so green 

 as in other places. 



Among the recent bird-colonists of London, 

 we find that the moorhen and ringdove have 

 established themselves here, but in very small 

 numbers. There are two good-sized lakes 

 (besides a bathing-pond), and the islands might 

 be made very attractive to birds, both land and 

 water. They are planted with trees, the best 

 grown in the park, but have no proper cover 

 for species that nest on the ground and in low 

 bushes, and no rushes or other aquatic plants on 

 their edges. It is a wonder that even the moor- 

 hens are able to rear any young. The lakes are 

 much used for boating, and this is said to be in 



