of Kensington Gardens. 155 



there ought to be a public footpath made directly across these 

 gardens, from the Bayswater road to the Knightsbridge road; 

 entering at the middle point between Cumberland Gate and Sil- 

 ver Street, Kensington Gravel Pits, and coming out at the 

 middle point between Hyde Park Corner and Kensington 

 church. The distance between these extreme points, on both 

 roads, is nearly two miles; so that a person living at the middle 

 point on the one road wishing to go to the middle point on the 

 other, as he cannot go across the gardens, is obliged to walk two 

 miles and a half, instead of half a mile, which is the distance di- 

 rectly across. No appropriation of property, either public or 

 private, can, in our opinion justify such a nuisance. To prevent 

 the path from interfering with the appearance of the gardens, it 

 might be sunk to the depth of 8 ft., with the sides walled, the 

 bottom paved, with drains on each side, and the top covered 

 with a horizontal iron grating. As the direction of the path 

 would be north and south, the sun would shine into it every day 

 in the year ; and this, with small side drains, connected with 

 proper main drains, leading to the public sewers, would render 

 the path dry and comfortable at all seasons ; while a few lamps, 

 and a policeman, would render it as fit for use by night as by 

 day. If some such plan as this is not adopted, then there ought 

 to be doors at the middle points above referred to, in order that 

 persons might at least get directly across in the day time. 



24. One great use of evergreen trees and shrubs in garden 

 scenery is, the shelter which they afford to birds in the night 

 time. There is abundance of suitable food for singing birds 

 in the gardens and parks of the environs of London ; that 

 being furnished by the insects which live almost always on de- 

 ciduous trees, and by their buds, blossoms, and fruit; but, 

 without evergreen trees or shrubs, there is no warmth or shelter 

 for the more delicate birds in the winter season, and in the night 

 time ; for birds, no more than other animals, can live on food 

 alone. If evergreen trees were placed in Hyde Park, the 

 Regent's Park, and the other parks, and bird-catchers prevented 

 from pursuing their calling within twenty miles of the metropolis, 

 the number of singing birds would be greatly increased all round 

 London ; and myriads of those insects which are now so injurious 

 to suburban gardens would disappear, because their larvae would 

 be devoured by the birds. It is highly probable, also, that, under 

 such circumstances, several foreign singing birds, or birds re- 

 markable for the beauty of their plumage, might be acclimatised ; 

 and the woods of Kensington Gardens might one day resound 

 with the notes of the campanero, as they did a few years ago 

 with those of the woodpigeon. What has been already done 

 in St. James's Park, in acclimatising foreign aquatic birds, ap- 

 pears, at all events, to justify us in suggesting the idea. 



