198 LONDON PARKS © GARDENS 
be done to encourage the growth of wild flowers. 
It is true notice-boards forbid the plucking of them, 
and that is a great step in advance—but the sowing 
of a few species, which have become extinct, would add 
greatly to the charm of the place. It is also still 
the favourite haunt of wild birds, and the more the 
true wildness is encouraged, the more likely they are 
to frequent it. It is much to be hoped that the 
London County Council will refrain in their planting, 
from anything but native trees and bushes which look 
at home, and which would attract our native songsters. 
Within the last ten or twelve years a very great variety 
of birds have been recorded either as nesting there 
or as visitors. The following list (taken from “ Birds 
in London ” by W. H. Hudson, 1898) may interest 
bird lovers 
Wryneck, cuckoo, blackcap, grasshopper, sedge, 
reed and garden warblers, both white-throats, wood 
and willow wrens, chiff-chaff, redstart, stonechat, pied 
wagtail, tree pipit, red-backed shrike, spotted fly¬ 
catcher, swallow, house martin, swift, goldfinch, wheat- 
ears in passage, fieldfare in winter, occasionally red¬ 
wings, also redpoles, siskin, and grey wagtail. 
This list is certainly a revelation to those who only 
associate dusty sparrows and greedy wood-pigeons with the 
ornithology of London. No better testimony is wanted to 
prove that Hampstead is still the beautiful wild Heath 
that has given pleasure to so many generations. 
The only other large space of common land, north of 
the river within the London area, is Wormwood Scrubs, 
of very different appearance and associations from Hamp¬ 
stead. The manorial and common rights were pur¬ 
chased by the War Office, and the ground made over to 
