326 BIRDS IN LONDON 



birds flutter out of their nests and drop lightly 

 down, only to vanish like snowflakes that fall 

 on the water. Here we see that even in London, 

 with but two species to act upon, Nature, left a 

 little to herself, has succeeded in establishing 

 something like that balance of forces and 

 harmony which exists everywhere in her own 

 dominion. Would it not be better to leave it to 

 Nature in the parks, too, to do her own killing 

 in her own swift and secret manner ? In streets 

 and houses cats are of the greatest service, doing 

 for us, and unseen by us, that which we could not 

 effectually do for ourselves : in the parks their 

 presence is injurious ; there we rather want 

 Nature's feathered executioners, who are among 

 her most beautiful and interesting creatures. 



How effective and salutary her methods are, 

 how beautiful in their results, may be seen in 

 such places as have been made sanctuaries 

 for all wild animals, innocent and rapacious. 

 Even on the borders of London we have such 

 places, and perhaps it would be hard anywhere 

 in the rural districts to find a more perfect 

 sanctuary in a small space than that of Caen 

 Wood, at Hampstead. Although at the side of the 

 swarming Heath, it is really wild, since for long 



