BIRDS IN LONDON 265 



imposed picture in strange contrast. I was only 

 too conscious of the difference between the two 

 scenes — the actual and the remembered, town 

 and country. This eventually served to intensify 

 my satisfaction ; and yet for a time it had a 

 disturbing effect. 



Let the lover and student of bird life consider 

 for a moment what this change must have been 

 to me, after spending long months, summer and 

 winter, perpetually roaming about from park to 

 park, to seek for and observe the same few 

 spdcies in the same surroundings — ringdove, 

 moorhen, and dabchick ; blackbird, thrush, and 

 starling, with a few more ; and among them and 

 everywhere, sprinkled about or in throngs, a 

 multitude of gossiping sparrows ; and not only 

 in green places, this species being a parasite on 

 man, a house-bird and a gutter-bird, but in the 

 streets too, connecting park with park by means 

 of innumerable tinkUng chains with little brown - 

 feathered birds for Unks. Then in one day the 

 change — oaks and pines, for houses ; and for 

 streets and thoroughfares, forest glades and 

 shining rivers ; for open spaces, squares and 

 parks — league -wide wastes, rough with heather 



