46o THE NATURE BOOK 



tinuous shade, the main avenue in the One would like to speak of the birds 



park was planted, not with the common of the park — of the coots and moorhens 



elm, Ulmus campestris, but with the that run in the sedge, and make such 



Dutch elm — a tree which throws its pretty water groups in early summer 



branches horizontally like the oak — with with their families ; of the thrushes and 



the unfortunate result that these long blackbirds that sing in the trees. One 



limbs, extended at the angle of greatest cock blackbird there is which shows the 



resistance, are unable to sustain their effect of human association and example 



own weight ; some have fallen, and many by wearing a white collar, and many 



more have been cut off, disfiguring the others, descendants probably of this 



trees, and giving, as scars are apt to do, civilised bird, have stray feathers of 



a foothold for fungus and disease. To white. Robins, wrens, chaffinches, and 



meet the difficulty, lines of healthy and blue-tits haunt the plantations ; and the 



well grown sapling planes have been wood pigeon, now a naturalised Londoner, 



planted behind the elms, destined in due is everywhere, 

 time to replace them. At sunset there is a great muster of 



But life goes well with most of the trees ; starlings, in restless flocks wheeling about 



a dead branch is a rarity, the foliage is their roosting places, settling for a moment 



everywhere abundant, whilst the girth of and wheeMng again, and all to that babel 



many of the trees suggests a century's of chatter which is the starlings' lullaby, 

 growth rather than the fifty years which. It is difficult to understand, though it 



with a very few exceptions, is the limit of may half consciously be felt, how much 



their age. The low level of the ground, these London parks stand for to London 



and consequent immunity from damage dwellers. Imagine a hollow of some vast 



by high winds, and the dampness of the and thirsty desert, filled with an expanse 



soil (a dampness which is proved by the of veritable ocean ; where the parched 



ease with which the lake is supplied from and wearied traveller might survey the 



surface drainage only), no doubt favours stretch of sunlit blue, with the wild 



tree culture ; and it is only reasonable to white horses coursing over the bar, and 



expect that in time some very noble pools of cold sea water amongst the 



timber wiU be found here. rocks ; green swaying seaweed, " the sap- 



The walnuts have died out in Hyde less fohage of the ocean," growing in 

 Park, but in Battersea they stiU thrive — lucid depths ; and ever flowing away, to 

 some of them older than the park, mingle with the desert heat and dust, 

 Amongst many varieties of the ash the tide of fresh sea air. 

 there are to be seen some particularly Equal in aesthetic value to many that 

 graceful specimens of Fraxinus lentisci- live in London is the boon of the park. 

 folia grafted upon the common ash, and Ringed around with an interminable 

 curiously showing a much greater girth desert of streets, here is a little space held 

 above than below the graft ; a very clean by the power that makes the world out- 

 and elegant tree is the Cornish elm, side the city an ocean of hving green, 

 conical in shape, lofty, and with small Though the leaves of the trees may be 

 bright leaves, much less liable, apparently, fouled with smoke, the rains wiU return 

 to damage from caterpillar and other and wash them clean. The grass, tram- 

 pests than are the leaves of the hedge- pled and soiled, bathes itself in the 

 row elm. Yews spread the darkness of nightly dew and sparkles to the morning 

 their foliage and throw their darker sun in ever-renewed purity. Here tired 

 shadows as naturally as upon a Surrey eyes may take delight in briglit colours of 

 hill-side. Maples, especially the beau- flowers, in infinite gradations of light and 

 tiful silver variety, flourish extremely, shade amongst the branches ; in beauty 

 Perhaps, however, the waterside trees of form and grace of motion ; and above 

 give the greatest pleasure, particularly the distant noise of the traffic — a harmony 

 the white poplars and willows and the overcoming a discord — tired cars may be 

 Lombardy po]:)lars that close some of soothed by the songs of birds, and the 

 the beautiful lake vistas. beloved sound of the wind in the trees. 



Arthur Scammei.l. 



