68 BIRDS- IN LONDON 



CHAPTER V 



EXPULSION OF THE ROOKS 



Positions of the rook and crow compared — Gray's Inn Gardens 

 rookery — Break-up of the old, and futile attempt of the 

 birds to establish new rookeries — The rooks a great loss 

 to London — ^Why the rook is esteemed — Incidents in the 

 life of a tame rook — A first sight of the Kensington Gardens 

 rookery — The true history of the expulsion of the rooks — A 

 desolate scene, and a vision of London beautified. 



We have seen how it is with the carrion 

 crow — that he is in the balance, and that 

 if the park authorities will but refrain from 

 persecuting him he will probably be able to 

 keep his ancient place among the wild birds of 

 London. To what has already been said on the 

 subject of this bird I will only add here that 

 there is, just now, an unfortunate inclination in 

 some of the County Council's parks to adopt the 

 policy of the royal parks — to set too high a 

 value on domestic and ornamental' water-fowl, 

 which, however beautiful and costly they may 

 be, can never give as much pleasure or produce 



