NATURAL HISTORY IN DOWNING STREET

Evening Star, Issue 22805, 13 November 1937, Page 12

NATURAL HISTORY IN DOWNING STREET

In the current number of the ‘ Countryman ’ the Prime Minister, Mr Neville ■ Chamberlain, discusses the bird and insect life" which he has observed in the garden of his official residence, Np. 10 Downing Street, in the heart of London. .

“ Naturally the ‘ Countryman’ is interested first and - foremost in th« country,” he says, “ hut there ia_ a ‘ rus in nrbe ’ where I write, in which, sometimes reminders of the country may' be Visible for' those who have eyea to see.

“ The old ghrden, between Downing street, and the Horse Guards Parade has existed for_ at least 250 years, and perhaps it retains for that reason some traces of more rural surroundings. “ Only? a few days ago I was delighted to find resting on the trunk of a small hawthorn tree, a specimen of the beautiful, but rarely seen, Leopard moth, its long' white, blue-black, spotted wings folded oyer its back. The larva of this insect ■is a wood borer, and as far as I know- there is no tree in the garden which would be suitable for its food. Nevertheless, from- its perfect condition I am, sure it could, not have made any long flight, and it must have passed its * earlier stage? somewhere. in the neighbourhood.,.-, “ When I first came here in January of 1936 [to No. 11, next door, as Chancellor of the Exchequer] - 1 at one® affixed a, nesting box to one of the trees in the garden. Nothing happened, for; a long time, \but last. March I saw » pair of blue, or perhaps I should say black, tits, for they were a grimy, couple, flitting about the branches of a lime tree. Shortly afterwards they were flying in and out of the box. “ I did not have time to make; any examination till the week-end -after I had become Prime Minister, when, oa looking into the box, I found the nest completed and three eggs in it. Uh« fortuntaely I saw little more movement, and looking again in June, found that the nest was deserted and the three eggs had been reduced to two. Now what is the solution of the mystery of the vanished egg? “ Did the tits themselves- carry it away, or did some marauder make off with it? - ,

“I remember, long years ago, my, mother’s twin sister, a lady much beloved by me for her sjveet disposition and her keen humour, related a ■ conversation with her venerable gardener. “Said my aunt: ‘John, I see th® blackbirds have been busy again with, the cherries,’ “ ‘ Maybe, ma’am.’ the old man replied, and then, with an indescribably, sly chuckle he added, _ ‘ but I fancy some two-legged blackbirds must have been round here.’ , “I wonder if some animal of th® same species went off with my tits*' egg.” 1 -