92 
NATURE NOTES. 
mould to show that anything has been changed. In some cases the stump, with 
the roots attached, is taken to another part of the grounds and replanted, with 
the roots uppermost, in some open space. Scores of these unsightly objects, 
looking at a distance like gigantic black mushrooms, may be seen scattered about 
the more open grounds. It is said that the intention is to cover them with ivy, 
and that in years to come, when the ivy has grown, they will show as dark green 
discs on the light green turf, and will then have a rather pretty appearance. 
Alas, that Kew Gardens, the most precious of London’s green places, and last 
haunt near London of the nuthatch and jay and nightingale, and many another 
species, should have fallen into such hands ! Each one of these hideous black 
stumps with upturned roots, which are intended to look pretty bye-and-bye, repre- 
sents not one, but scores of lost trees ; and one living tree is worth a million of 
such ornaments to nine hundred and ninety-nine in any thousand persons. But — 
alas ! again— the thousandth happens to be Mr. Thiselton Dyer.” 
BIRDS IN WANSTEAD PARK. 
IHE herons were very busy and very noisy in Wanstead 
Park on the lovely afternoon of April 8 ; curious 
hisses, snores, and grunts, as well as loud trumpet-like 
calls proceeded from the neighbourhood of the tall trees 
on the island where the heronry is situated. Once a heron 
alighted right on the top of a sitting rook, to the considerable 
astonishment of both, but the rook sidled off, as far as could be 
seen, from between the heron’s legs, and then gave the intruder a 
piece of her mind from an adjacent tree top. Whether the long- 
legged one had made a mistake, or whether he perched there 
intentionally will never be known, but presently off he shambled 
to his own much larger structure, and the outraged corvine was 
soon sitting again in comfort. Another heron, or perhaps the 
same one, was seen later on fleeing precipitately from the vigorous 
onslaught of an irate rook, and it was very curious to see such 
an ungainly-looking bird twisting and turning to avoid the 
numerous branches, but succeeding better than one might have 
expected. There must be a considerable number of them 
nesting there again, and any bird lover wishing to get a good 
view of the nests should pay a visit to the Park at once before 
the leaves are fully out ; otherwise nothing of the heronry will 
be visible but an occasional old bird flying over — and even now 
with the horse chestnuts in leaf the nesting trees are hidden 
somewhat. 
A secluded corner of the lake formed a perfect picture 
for all such bird-lovers as myself, and considering the close 
proximity of London the number and variety of the birds was 
little short of wonderful. All around, the trees and under- 
growth came almost to the water’s edge, with here and there a 
clump of rushes, or a bit of grassy bank, with the green stars of 
the wild hyacinth nearly hiding the ground under the shelter of 
the bushes. Right in the centre of the vista at the back of the 
water was a tree larger than those surrounding it, and anwngst 
