Urban Exodus
A negative sign of spring very apparent to Londoners is the disappear- ance of the so-called black-headed gulls from the river and St. James's. When the brown on the head grows richer off they fly to.the neighbour- hood of their breeding homes, which are usually inland and' may be— as near the Lincolnshire coast—of very great size. The Park authorities, who are becoming highly ornithological, have suggested that,they grow fewer in London and that the public or the Ministry' of Food is responsible. The birds are given nothing but bread and have grown bored with it. If only, it is officially suggested, the public would give also bacon and cheese-rind; the birds would be more healthy and more numerous! Oddly enough, a like reason has been given for the diminu- tion (which is undoubted) of the sparrow population ; and it is even asserted that young sparrows supplied by their parents with much white bread grow up into obvious weaklings. There is little doubt that the comparative absence of horses (and nose-bags) has reduced the sum of urban sparrows.
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