214 BIEDS IN LONDON 



any other feathered creatures ; and it is pro- 

 bable that if guns were not fired here, or not 

 fired too often, this well-sheltered piece of wood 

 and water would become the resort in winter of 

 many persecuted wild birds, and that they would 

 here lose the excessive wariness which makes 

 it in most cases so difficult to observe them. 



A word must be added concerning the rook- 

 shooting, which takes place in May, when there 

 are still a good many young herons in the nests. 

 At Wanstead I have been seriously told that the 

 herons are mightily pleased to witness the 

 annual massacre of their unneighbourly black 

 neighbours, or their young. My own belief, 

 after seeing .the process, is that the panic of 

 terror into which the old herons are thrown may 

 result some day in the entire colony shifting its 

 quarters into some quieter wood in Essex ; and 

 that it would be well to adopt some other less 

 dangerous method of thinning the rooks, if they 

 are too numerous, which is doubtful. 



For the rest, the Corporation are deserving 

 of nothing but praise for their management of 

 this invaluable ground. Here is a bit of wild 

 woodland nature unspoiled by the improving 

 spirit which makes for prettiness in the Eoyal 



