WILD LIFE NEAR LONDON 



IT is difficult to imagine the heart of South Kensington 

 as a " happy hunting-ground " for the man with a gun, 

 nevertheless, an old sportsman, whose veracity is beyond 

 doubt, declares that he has shot both partridges and snipe 

 where to-day are the Exhibition Buildings. 



In a certain small hostelry within a stone's throw of the 

 ancient house in King's-road, Fulham, reputed to have 

 been one of the many homes of Nell Gwynne, there may 

 be seen a large glass case containing stuffed specimens of 

 both full and jack-snipe, water rail, teal, and kingfishers- 

 all shot by a local " gunner " on what used to be known as 

 Fulham Marsh. 



Wimbledon Park, which lies within seven miles of 

 Charing Cross, possesses a lake of considerable size. In 

 this lake three or four years ago coots were so numerous 

 that it was deemed advisable to thin them out. There 

 were shot during three early mornings 54! couple by three 

 guns. The " bag " might have been doubled. The coots 

 here are quite wild, many no doubt, wanderers from Pen 

 Ponds, Richmond Park, and other large sheets of water 

 in the neighbourhood. It is worthy of note that during 

 the coot drives a pair of great crested grebes remained 

 on the lake, apparently quite unconcerned at the fusillade. 



It may not be generally known that Wimbledon Com- 

 mon, Richmond Park, and the intervening Kingston 



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