72 NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
wild birds, especially those that frequent the neighbourhood of water.
The universal protection given to them leads them to have no fear of
mankind, and the many new lakes and reservoirs, such as the West
Middlesex reservoir, near Ranelagh, provide them with their natural hunting and
nesting places. The parks, too, afford perfectly safe homes for many birds. For
instance, the wood-pigeon—quite a different bird from the tame pigeons of
St. Paul's—now abounds in many parks, and is becoming almost domesticated.
It is even changing its habits, and now builds on chimneys and roof cornices.
Then, to go back to water-birds, on the Serpentine and the ponds in St James's
Park, are not only wild ducks and water-hens, but the coot, the pochard, or red-
headed diving duck, and the tufted duck, the male of which, by its bright black
and white plumage, is very conspicuous. This species is increasing quite as fast
in and round London as in the country. It is common on the Serpentine, in
St. James's Park, in Wanstead Park, and on the Penn Ponds at Richmond.
Three years ago I was invited by the chief engineer of the Middlesex Waterworks
to visit the reservoirs at Ranelagh, and there I saw at least seventy tufted ducks
which flew about as if on a preserved Norfolk mere. There were also a pair of
great ceres ted grebes and many coots. Dabchicks, the smallest of the grebes,
breed in St. James's Park, and also at the Penn Ponds and Wanstead. This
year there were three broods of small water-hens in the lew yards of running
water below the Serpentine."
Mr. Cornish added that we could not hope to see all kinds of
wild birds returning, such as the insect-feeders—among them
all the warblers, the nightingale, the Whitethroat, the blackcap,
and the chiff-chaff. "There is no suitable food for them in the
parks, as there are no bushes, undergrowth, and long grass of
the kind which harbours their food. The ground in the shrub-
beries is dug up, and dug ground is hopeless for them. One of
the few places where the small warblers are found is Chiswick
Eyot, where this summer the Whitethroat, reed warbler, and
sedge warbler all nested. It is to be hoped that this eyot, with
its fine osiers, will never be built upon. Flocks of peewits come
into the market gardens near Chiswick, and have greatly
increased since the protecting Act was passed."
FISHES.
Salmon near Southend.—In the Daily Mail of June 3rd,
1905, it is noted that a "report has been received by the City of
London Piscatorial Society from a member residing at Leigh to
the effect that a small salmon has been captured off the Knock
Buoy, Southend. The fish, it is stated, was about eighteen
inches in length."
Dr. Laver says that salmon are still taken in nets on
various parts of the coast, and that few years pass without