174 The Street Architecture of London. 



after an interval of from ten minutes to a quarter of an hour 

 no response is met with to the drumming of the decoy, the 

 bird-catchers move off to try another spot. They are at times 

 very successful, and catch three or four birds near one place, 

 where plentiful. Of course, males are most frequently taken 

 by this method ; but females, also, turn up sometimes, and in 

 paying a friendly visit to the decoy, get captured. They 

 appear to be much more difficult to keep in confinement than 

 the stronger sex. 



The method of capture here described is practised in 

 Burmah all the year round but with most success during the 

 pairing season. 



THE STREET ARCHITECTURE OF LONDON. 



In our former article we feel strongly that due justice has 

 not been done to Gwynn, for his London and Westminster 

 Improved, in 1766 ; or to Mr. Haywood, for his admirable 

 report made in the present year 1866 ; but we must not 

 forget that we have undertaken to note down a few remarks 

 upon the street architecture of our metropolis as now 

 existing ; in attempting which we have the advantage of the 

 observations of a young Parisian architect, who has lately 

 been consigned to us by letters of introduction, and to whom 

 we felt it both our duty and pleasure to act as cicerone. It 

 occurred to us that we could not better commence our duties 

 than by taking our young friend Alphonse Fontaine to the 

 summit of St. Paul's, for a bird's eye (coup d'ceil) of our 

 metropolis. There is always a great charm in a general view 

 from an elevated position, and — malgre the smoke from those 

 abominable and reeking shafts in Lambeth — our friend was 

 delighted with what he saw, and his first observation was, 

 ' ' What a charming effect from your atmosphere. With us on 

 the Continent, everything is marked out clear, crude, and 

 distinct ; but here you have an atmospheric medium, which 

 gives an effect to objects most agreeable and enchanting. It 

 is what your celebrated Turner has obtained in his pictures — 

 there is a medium between the spectator and the objects- — an 

 aerial effect, adding to the perspective and to the ohia/ro oscuro 

 of the scene. But where are your domes beyond the one I am 

 standing on ? In the distance I see two gems at Greenwich ; 

 but those on what you term your National Gallery, your 

 London University, and Bethlehem Hospital are mere /dm pies. 

 In Paris we can boast of several noble domes, and hence the 



