London Birds. 175 



most interesting birds they are. The most common is the 

 coal tit, a true acrobat, and a very sociable, innocent creature. 



Swallows make their way pretty well into the heart of 

 London, but not as in White's time are they met with in Al- 

 dersgate Street. There are nests to be seen in the older parts 

 of Kensington, Lambeth, Kentish Town, and Stoke Newing- 

 ton, in plenty. Knowing the last-named spot I can tell you 

 that in High Street, nearly opposite Church Street, there is a 

 long file of swallows' nests under the coping-stones of the 

 houses kept by Mr. Engisch, Mr. Davidge, Mr. Rumney, and 

 thence northwards, and all the summer long the birds dart to 

 and fro, over the tops of omnibuses and loaded wains, up the 

 defile of Church Street, and over the beautiful expanse of 

 Abney Park Cemetery, in apparent unconcern as to the noise 

 and traffic. At the other end of Church Street, where the 

 bold sweep of the New Biver, skirting Newington Park, 

 makes " a silence all day long," you may see not only swal- 

 lows, but. swifts, and the nests of these latter are to be found 

 on the upper parts of the fine old houses which overlook the 

 Park at that spot ; and thus within the distance (as the crow 

 flies) of three and a-half miles of St. Paul's, are all the ele- 

 ments of rural life, and the aspects of the place are, as yet, 

 those of a country village. 



I should have concluded here had I not suddenly called to 

 mind that the flycatcher has built in these gardens within 

 three years past ; that I used to trap redpoles in a field at 

 Stepney, where is situated now the Metropolitan Cemetery ; 

 that, towards the approach of winter, and sometimes late in 

 the spring, flocks of wild geese go over head, in wedge-shaped 

 masses, crying as if for fear to find themselves in such dan- 

 gerous proximity to smoky chimneys ; that wood-pigeons often 

 come over these gardens in flocks in autumn (a friend who 

 resides at Tottenham, reckons on a few pigeon pies thereby 

 every year) ; that fieldfares and redwings are seen in the 

 open meadows every year in October and November, and fall 

 victims to the fowler's gun ; and that jays, magpies, crossbills, 

 and hawks of all kinds are rarely or never seen at all within 

 at least seven miles of the mighty Babylon. 



