ST. JAMES’S & GREEN PARKS 63 
the original. In the true version he describes the Park 
with its rows of trees and “ admirable prospect ” of 
the suburbs, and mentions that the King had “erected 
a tall Pile in the Park, the better to make use of 
Telescopes, with which Sir Robert Murray shew’d me 
Saturn and the Satellites of Jupiter.” Not a word about 
the ducks. But in the spurious parody of 1698 there 
is a humorous description, which shows how the next 
generation laughed at the amusements of King Charles II. 
“ I was at St. James’s Park; there were no Pavillions, 
nor decoration of Treilliage and Flowers; but I saw 
there a vast number of Ducks; these were a most 
surprising sight. I could not forbear to say to Mr. 
Johnson, who was pleased to accompany me in this 
Walk, that sure all the ponds in England had contri¬ 
buted to this profussion of Ducks; which he took so 
well, that he ran immediately to an Old Gentleman that 
sate in a Chair, and was feeding of ’em. He rose up very 
obligingly, embraced me, and saluted me with a Kiss, 
and invited me to Dinner; telling me he was infinitely 
oblig’d to me for flattering the King’s Ducks.” 
Little attention was paid to the wild fowl in the 
Park after that date, until the Prince Consort took an 
interest in them. In 1841 he became the Patron of the 
Ornithological Society, and the cottage on Duck Island 
was built for the Bird-keeper. For some thirty years 
the Society flourished, and kept up the supply and cared 
for the birds in the Park. In 1867, however, their 
numbers were greatly reduced, and the Society sold 
their collection of birds to H.M. Office of Works, 
which has since then had them under its charge. It is 
pleasant to know that the old tradition of the wild fowl 
in that part of the Park is maintained. Although the 
