WAYS OF THE WILD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 7, 9 January 1937, Page 1 (Supplement)

WAYS OF THE WILD.

SOME RANDOM NOTES.

LONDON'S DOGS AND BIRDS. (By A. T. PYCROFT.) Strangers to London remark upon the great number of dogs seen in the streets. Very few have their liberty, but are taken by their owners or members of the family for daily walks on the footpaths and in the parks. Londoners are very fond of animals, especially their dogs, and one sees dogs of all sizes and breeds, pampered little pete, wearing coat covers of various designs, and mongrels of all sorts. Many of the smaller species are carried bj their owners. A clever play, "A Storm in a Teacup," has now run at the Garrick for over 300 performances. The storm has been caused by a widow'* mongrel which has been seized because the owner failed to pay for three vean the annual license fee of 7/6. Th>! writer of the play stresses the fact that the footpaths are made unclean by the numerous dogs. This objectionable practise is very noticeable in many parts and the local authorities view the matter seriously, the penalty for despoliation being JE2. Xew Zealander* would be surprised to see dogs in railway carriages, even Alsatians, for which half fares are charged. The railway companies have posted displays inviting people to remember to take 'their dog# with them on their holidays. Equipped With Goggles. Buses (they are all double-deckers in and about London) make no charge for dogs, but the owner must travel with the animal on the top deck. Dogs are frequently seen in motor cars, ar.d on one occasion I saw a dog with its head out of the window and as a protection against the wind it wore motor cycle goggles. There are special dog salons in the city, where dogs may have their hair curled or trimmed, washed or shampooed. Vets are often in demand and there is a. travelling hospital for poor people's dogs. I saw near Brad-ford-on-Avon a number of people lined up with their dogs, a vet. and nurse being in attendance. Dog rest homes are seen in many parts of the country. Here owners can leave their dogs when going on a holiday. Special dog bedbaskets ere made with an entrance, so that the dog, if small, will not have to jump the foot-high sides. One of the sights of London is Club Row on a Sunday morning. Here are dogs and pups of all breeds, and it is interesting to see children with their parents caressing a recently purchased pup as they proudly walk off with it. A young married couple may also be seen making a purchase. All sorts of animals may be purchased at Club Row. Many species of birds, cats, monkeys, tortoises, and even tame mice. Dog cemeteries have been an established custom for many years. Autumn in England. As I write in the first week of November the leaves have nearly all fallen, and what a feast of colour they have been. Berries have been very plentiful, and there has been plenty of food for birds, squirrels, rats, and mice. Children have collected the horse chestl- - to play with, and the "mast," as the beech seeds are called, have fallen. Beech seeds are loved by the squirrels and birds are also very fond of them. Wood pigeons are plentiful, large numbers come from the continent; they like the beech mast, aud are very fond of acorns, and may be seen on the ground gorging themselves, but strange to relate, some ducks are also fond of acorns, and gorge themselves with them. Thrushes and blackbirds find plenty of berries, and are very partial to those of the yew. The Roman or mountain ash berries are sought for by the blackbirds. Many hazel nuts have fallen to the ground, and some of the small rodents are busy at work collet-ting them. It is remarkable that two small birds, the great tit and liuthitch, feed on these nuts. Readers may wonder how these small birds can get at the kernels. Their method is to fix a nut securely in a crevice of a tree with rough bark and then hammer it with their short and strong bills until they have made a hole; they can then pick out the kernel. On several occasions lately I have been in the vic-initv of Trafalgar Square at dusk, when that part of London is shrouded in mist, and I have been astounded by the thousands of starlings roosting on the sheltered parts of the Xelson Column, Xational Gallery St. Martin's in the Field, and Charing Cross Railway Station. In Xew Zealand readers, no -loubt. are familiar with the flocks of starlings which form roosting places on some of our small islets off the coast, certain cliff faces, and plantations, but we do not see thein taking up their quarters for the niglit in the midst ->f the city. Kent's Paradise Docks. Flocks of the common gull. Larua canus. may be seen at evening living inland up the Thames where they roost over night in inland marshes. The black headed gull is plentiful on the waters of the various parks, but at this time of the year the head is greyish white witii a black splash near the eye. It is in March that the head and upper part of the neck become blackish brown. It is then that they withdraw to marshes and small lakes to breed. The same breeding places have been ocrupied lor centuries. A familiar sight to any Xew Zealand bird lover is the paradise ducks in the Royal Hardens at Kew. One female is a great pet of the keeper's, and allows herself to be picked up and caressed. Two drakes of this species keep to themselves and amuse "lie public by their actions and hissing noise. They sometimes run towards people with outstretched necks as if to atta-k them.