BIBDS FOB LONDON 319 



London. There are, I imagine, few small birds 

 more fitted to give pleasure to Londoners than 

 the nuthatch, on account of his quaint figure 

 and pretty plumage, his sprightliness and amus- 

 ing squirrel-like movements on a trunk or 

 branch of a tree. Though not strictly a songster, 

 his various clear penetrative call-notes are very 

 delightful to hear ; and he is most loquacious in 

 late winter and early spring, when bird-voices 

 are few. Furthermore, of wild birds that may 

 be taught to come to us for food he is one of the 

 quickest to learn, and will follow his feeder, or 

 come at call, and deftly catch the nuts and 

 crusts and fragments of any kind that are thrown 

 to him. 



Two other small birds with loud bright voices 

 — both London species, but now very nearly 

 vanished, as we have seen — are the oxeye and 

 wren. I think the best plan with regard to 

 these two — and the same plan might be tried 

 with the nuthatch in the event of the starling's 

 failure as a foster-parent — would be to catch the 

 young birds shortly after leaving the nest, and 

 release them as soon as possible in the parks. 

 All these three have the habit of roosting in 

 families, old and young together, in a hole or 



