File:Birds in London (1898) (14569020170).jpg

Identifier: birdsinlondon00huds (find matches)
Title: Birds in London
Year: 1898 (1890s)
Authors: Hudson, W. H. (William Henry), 1841-1922
Subjects: Birds -- England London
Publisher: London, New York, Bombay, Longmans, Green and co.
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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AW Rarity of the daw in London—Pigeons and daws compared—^Esthetic value of the daw as a cathedral bird—KensingtonPalace daws ; their disposition and habits—Friendship withrooks—Wandering daws at Clissold Park—Solitary daws—Mr. Mark Melfords birds—Rescue of a hundred daws—Thestrange history of an egg-stealing daw—White daws—Whiteravens—Willughbys speculations—A suggestion. It is somewhat curious to find that the jackdawis an extremely rare bird in London—that, infact, with the exception of a small colony at onespot, he is almost non-existent. At EichmondPark, where pheasants (and the gamekeeperstraditions) are preserved, he was sometimes shotin the breeding season ; l)ut in the metropolis,so far as I know, he has never been persecuted.Yet there are few birds, certainly no member ofthe crow family, seemingly so w^ell adapted to aLondon life as lliis species. Throughout thekinfrdom he is a tamihar town bird ; in oneEnglish cathedral ovei- a hundred pairs have
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PIGEONS AT THE LAW COURTS THE LONDON DAW 53 their iiests ; and in that city and in many othertowns the bird^ are accustomed to come to thegardens and window-sills, to be fed on scrapsby their human neighbours and friends. While the daw^ has diminished wdth us, andis near to vanishing, the common pigeon—thedomestic variety of the blue rock—has increasedexcessively in recent years. Large colonies ofthese birds inhabit the Temple Gardens, the LawCourts, St. Pauls, the Museum, and WestminsterPalace, and many smaller settlements exist all overthe metropolis. Now% a flock or cloud of parti-coloured pigeons rushing up and wheeling aboutthe roofs or fronts of these imposing structuresforms a very pretty sight; but the daw^ toyingwith the wind, that lifts and blows him hitherand thither, is a much more engaging spectacle,and in London we miss him greatly. I have often thought that it was due to thepresence of the daw that I was ever able to getan adequate or satisfactory idea of the beauty

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