BIRDS IN LONDON 285 



metropolis, have long almost ceased to exist 

 as town birds. A few sand-martins continue 

 to breed in a bank in the neighbourhood of 

 Clapham Junction — of all places ; and several 

 pairs of house-martins built their nests this year 

 in North London. A sohtary pair of swallows 

 took up their abode in CMssold Park in spring, 

 and, after making and forsaking three nests 

 under the portico of the old Manor House in 

 the park, they made a fourth attempt and 

 successfully reared four young birds. The fly- 

 catcher and pied wagtail are more common. At 

 one park a pair of the last-named pretty, grace- 

 ful birds have bred at the same spot in three 

 following seasons ; and as the keeper's wife is 

 accustomed to feed them, they have grown quite 

 tame and come to her feet to pick up crumbs. 

 At Fulham Palace a pair made choice of a laurel, 

 trained against the wall, to build in, and placed 

 their nest quite close to the door opening on to 

 the lawn, where people were going in and out 

 all day long. One day, in the third week in 

 July, a full-grown handsome young cuckoo 

 tumbled out of this nest, and was probably 

 injured by falling upon the stone step below. 



