320 BIEDS IN LONDON 



other sheltered place ; and if taken at night and 

 released the following day where they were 

 wanted, they would probably soon adapt them 

 selves to their new surroundings. 



The wren, indeed, appears to have more 

 adaptiveness than most birds, being universal in 

 the British Islands, and able to survive the cold 

 and scarcity of the long northern winters, even 

 in the most bleak and barren situations. That 

 he is well able to thrive in London we know, in 

 spite of the fact that he has now all but vanished 

 from most of our open spaces ; for we have 

 seen that in one park, within two miles of 

 Charing Cross, where he is more encouraged and 

 better protected than elsewhere, he is actually 

 increasing in number. He is a delightful little 

 bird, a very general favourite, and is a winter 

 singer with a bright, beautiful, lyrical song, 

 wonderfully loud for so tiny a creature. I was 

 never more impressed with the loudness of its 

 song than on one Sunday afternoon in the 

 spring of 1897 in Battersea Park. I was walk- 

 ing with the park superintendent round the 

 lake, listening for some new summer voice, but 

 for some time no bird sound reached us. Fifty 

 or sixtv boats full of noisv rowers were on the 



