302 BIBDS IN LONDON 



animals from climbing over it. This screen 

 could be placed inside of the park railings at a 

 distance of about three or four feet from them^ 

 A fence or screen of this pattern has a hand- 

 some appearance, but it is expensive, the cost 

 being about fourpence to fivepence the square 

 foot. Probably some other cheaper and equally 

 effective wire protection could be designed. I 

 have consulted some of the large deaiers in wire 

 netting and fencing of all kinds, and they tell 

 me that a fence to keep out cats from parks has 

 yet to be invented. Very likely ; at the same time 

 there are probably very many ingenious persons 

 in England who would quickly invent what is 

 wanted if it was made worth their while. It 

 simply comes to this : if the park authorities 

 really wish to keep out the cats they can do so 

 at a moderate cost, and it is not likely that even 

 their worst critics would venture to blame them 

 for spending a few hundreds for such an object. 

 We must look to the County Council to take 

 the lead in this matter. It is my conviction — 

 there is much even now going on in some of the 

 parks to show how well founded it is — that 

 once the chief destroyer of our valuable birds is 

 excluded, a great and rapid improvement in the 



