8 BIBDS IN LONDON 



rich nor splendid colouring on their wings ; and 

 I had them for cicadas, and noisy locusts of 

 arboreal habits, hundreds and thousands of them, 

 whirring in a subdued way in the park trees 

 during the sultry hours. They were all these 

 things and scavengers as well, ever busy at their 

 scavengering in the dusty and noisy ways ; 

 everywhere finding some organic matter to 

 comfort their little stomachs, or to carry to 

 their nestlings. 



At times the fanciful idea would occur to 

 me that I was on a commission appointed to 

 inquire into the state of the wild bird life of 

 London, or some such subject, and that my 

 fellow commissioners were sparrows, so in- 

 cessantly were they with me, though in greatly 

 varying numbers, during my perambulations. 



After all, the notion that they attended or 

 accompanied me in my walks was not wholly 

 fanciful. For no sooner does any person enter 

 any public garden or park, or other open space 

 where there are trees, than, if he be not too 

 absorbed in his own thoughts, he will see that 

 several sparrows are keeping him company, 

 flying from tree to tree, or bush to bush, alighting 

 occasionally on the ground near him, watching 



