286 BIRDS IN LONDON 



two creatures. When we consider the extreme 

 abundance of the sparrow in all favourable 

 situations and his general diffusion over the entire 

 metropolis ; that he inhabits thousands of miles 

 of streets, often many scores of birds to the 

 mile ; and that besides all the birds that breed 

 in houses others nest in trees and bushes in 

 every garden, square, park, and other open 

 space, we cannot suppose that there are less 

 than a million of these birds. One day in April, 

 while walking rapidly the length of one walk in 

 a London park I counted 118 nests. There 

 could not have been fewer than 1,000 nests 

 in the whole park. The entire sparrow popu- 

 lation of London may be as much as two or 

 three millions, or even more. Putting it as low as 

 one million, the increase of half a million pairs, 

 breeding say four times a year, and rearing at 

 least twelve young (they often rear double that 

 number), we have an annual increase of six 

 millions. Most of this increase goes to the cats ; 

 for the cat is the sparrow's sole enemy, but a 

 really dangerous one only when the bird is just out 

 of the nest ; for the young bird very soon becomes 

 strong of wing and alert in mind, and is thereafter 

 comparatively safe from the slayer of his kind. 



