London Birds. 173 



constant resident. The blackbird is more scarce, yet at Stoke 

 Newington, Stamford Hill, and Highgate, on the north ; and 

 at Dulwich, Battersea, and Wandsworth, on the south ; it is 

 commonly seen and heard, and builds and breeds without fear, 

 wherever there is a sufficient amount of seclusion. Westward 

 I have never seen the blackbird nearer London than Ux- 

 bridge, and beyond that point blackbirds are almost as plenti- 

 ful as blackberries. The storm cock is a rare bird everywhere 

 near London, but is occasionally seen at Stoke Newington. 

 As for the robin, it is not a London bird in the same sense 

 as a haymaker is not a Londoner. But as you may see hay- 

 makers in London, so you may see robins ; its indomitable 

 pluck and its solitariness of habit will carry it anywhere. 

 B-obins are seen among the hay-carts at Whitechapel, Smith- 

 field, and Cumberland markets, in all the squares, in Lincoln's 

 Inn, Gray's Inn, and other gardens ; in the open roadway of 

 Farringdon Street, Ludgate Hill, the Strand, and Blackfriars 

 Road ; nay, I once saw a robin on a lovely autumn afternoon 

 perch upon the edge of a tombstone in St. Paul's Churchyard, 

 and trill out a carol as sweetly as in any rural nook at home ; 

 and I think I may say, that of all the crowd then within seeing 

 and hearing, I was the only one that saw and heard, for when 

 the bird ceased, and I turned round to pursue my way, there 

 did not appear to have been a single soul conscious of the 

 angel visit but myself. 



I am afraid that at this point we have done with true 

 London birds. Yet it is hard to quit the subject. I call to 

 mind that here (Stoke Newington), one of the commonest and 

 most welcome of songsters is the hedge accentor {Accentor 

 moduiaris, Cuv.). I never see it in the squares or real London 

 gardens, yet it abounds in all the suburbs, wherever in fact 

 there are gardens sufficiently large to separate houses by the 

 distance of a hundred yards or more, if those gardens contain 

 old hedges, or clumps of scrub, and wilderness. So with the 

 wren, common enough in all real gardens, I never saw it 

 nearer town than Pentonville, and there I have seen it with my 

 own eyes. But very scarce near London is the fine crested 

 wren, it is indeed a rara avis. 



Among the visitants, the blackcap must take precedence for 

 plentifulness. It is the precursor of the nightingale, and tells 

 us that surely spring is come at last. At Dulwich, Hornsey, 

 Kensington, and St. John's Wood the blackcap may be heard 

 every season, soon after the last days of March ; but it makes 

 its way only into, such of the more urban districts as enclose 

 within their boundaries much rural scenery. Soon after comes 

 the nightingale, who haunts many more localities of the 

 London suburbs than the sleepy Londoners are aware. Strike 



