250 BIRDS IN LONDON 



cannot be protected on the common ; the wild 

 bird life is nevertheless abundant and varied, on 

 account of the large private grounds adjoining. 

 It is pleasant to sit here on a spring or summer 

 day and watch the jays that come to the trees 

 overhead; like other London jays and the 

 London fieldfares, they are strangely tame com- 

 pared with these birds in the country. Out in 

 the sunshine the skylark mounts up singing ; 

 and here, too, may be heard the nightingale. 

 He does not merely make a short stay on his 

 arrival in spring, as at some other spots in 

 the suburbs, but remains to breed. Yet here 

 we are only six and a half miles from Charing 

 Cross. It is still more surprising to find the 

 magpie at Streatham, in the wooded grounds 

 which join the common. Books are numerous 

 at Streatham, and their rookery close to 

 Streatham Common station is a singularly in- 

 teresting one. It is on an avenue of tall elms 

 w r hich formerly stood on open grass-land. A 

 few years ago this land was built over, rows of 

 houses being erected on each side of and 

 parallel with the avenue, which now stands 

 in the back gardens or yards, with the back 

 windows of the houses looking on it. But 



