NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 281 
Birds in London. By W. H. Hupsoy, F.Z.S. Longmans, 
Green & Co. 
Birps in London must be the ornithological subjects of the 
many who can seldom escape from the metropolis, or who, with 
Dr. Johnson, like to feel the high tide of life at Charing Cross. 
Though the scene of this book is neither laid in the City nor a 
restricted London, but embraces much suburban territory dear 
to villadom, including even Richmond Park, the general area is 
one over which the builder has now much sway, and whose wild 
nature, where not curtailed, is at least much bricked in. Conse- 
quently we are prepared for.the tale which is told. ‘‘ For many 
years there have been constant changes going on in the bird 
population, many species decreasing, a very few remaining 
stationary, and a few new colonists appearing; but, generally 
speaking, the losses greatly exceed the gains.””’ The Magpie.and 
Jay still exist at a distance of six and a half to seven miles from 
Charing Cross, and the Woodpigeons have come to town and 
apparently come to stay. Both the Moorhen and Dabchick have 
settled down in St. James’s Park; the Jackdaw and Owl are still 
resident in Kensington Gardens; the Sparrow is always with us, 
‘to which in numbers the Starling ranks next, though “ the Star- 
lings’ thousands are but a small tribe compared to the Sparrows’ 
numerous nation.” We have all seen Fieldfares in the suburbs, 
but in 1896 a few alighted in a tree at the Tower of London. 
Mr. Hudson remarks the disappearance of the Greenfinch from 
several localities, and we think that most observers will have 
noticed the scarcity of this bird round London. Forty years ago 
it was a very abundant bird round Nunhead, when schoolboy in- 
spection of the store-cages of the professional catcher seldom failed 
to discover it as the principal captive, and many a “bright” bird 
have we purchased for a penny. Now the erstwhile market 
gardens have disappeared, thanks to the industry of the builder 
| and the increase of the population, but Mr. Hudson reports the 
bird as still sheltered in Nunhead Cemetery. 
The great enemy of the London birds is the Cat. ‘“‘ Millions 
| of Sparrows are yearly destroyed by Cats in London,” and the 
| author thinks “that not more than two young birds survive out 
| of every dozen of all the Sparrows that breed in houses.” The 
