LONDON'S FEATHERED FOLK 203 



this much-maligned bird utter any other note 

 excepting its well-known chirrup, but even then 

 the trim, clean, country-bred bird I listened to 

 did not approach the song-power of his smoke- 

 begrimed cousin of Regent's Park. I imagine 

 that this London Sparrow made the Zoological 

 Gardens its permanent home, and had picked up 

 the notes of some of the captive birds in the 

 collection. 



The GuUery at the Zoo is at all times a pleasant 

 place to spend half an hour, for many interesting 

 bird-tenants are there exhibited. 



In the Sydenham district, just recently, a trusty 

 friend records the presence of some Tawny Owls, 

 whose mellow and weird hoot at night-time has 

 occasioned much interest among bird-lovers in 

 the Metropolis. This Owl lays the largest egg of 

 any of our five species of Owls, for we may now 

 count the beautiful Little Owl as a breeding species 

 in our country. These are useful birds indeed, 

 and farmers should encourage them without hesita- 

 tion. While some species do commit an amount 

 of damage in game preserves, generally speaking 

 Owls are a blessing to agriculturists, and, in a way, 

 to you and me. They rid the land of vast 

 numbers of obnoxious rodents, such as Rats, 

 Rabbits, and Mice, keep down birds and other 

 creatures, and in various ways help to preserve 

 Nature's balance. We shall have something 



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