Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-15
"PLAGUE, OF PIGEONS.
1000 Birds Haunt City of London
Buildings.

From the London Chronicle.
There Is legend extant In one of the
Inns of Court that many years ago two
young barristers who afterward attained
fame, and even judicial office at one lean
time, before briefs came, lived mainly upon
pigeons, which they shared at night within
the precinct of the inn. One of them may
have been the judge who until he retired
from the bench. always kept In his room
at the courts a bag of seed, with which ne
fed the attendant birds-a kind Of penance
perhaps for youthful msdemeanors.
Were furtive stewed pigeons a diet in
common favor with impecunious Juniors
DR.. Collingridge, who periodically makes
our flesh creep by the discovery OF some
new danger to health, might not have found
it necessary to embark upon q crusade
against the pigeons of the city. The med1-
cal officer estimates that within the limits
of the corporation area there are 1900 of
these birds. Some may be inclined to scon
at the pretentiouS accuracy OF this fgure
But it Is not at all difficult thing to
lake a census of pigeons If one gives ones
mind to 1t. as DR.. Collingridge apparently
has, for. though they are nominally owner
less and homeless they all have their par
ticular roosting places, from which they
can only be evicted by its destruction.
The habit. indeed, seems to be at the root
of DR.. Collingridge's complaint against
them, because, owing to the demontlon OF
various city churches, some of the birds in
recent years have had to seek refuge In
other buildings, and have chosen private
PREMISES. whose owners do not reciprocate
this mark of confidence. Presumably,
there is no fault to be found with the flocks
which inhabit st. Pauls, the Guild Hall
and the tower ST. PaurS without rs
pigeons would be almost as unthnkaole
as St Marks without its kindred focks.
And the birds have doubtless sought sane
tuary at the cathedral of the capital ever
since there was a cathedral. In the earliest
known view of London, drawn by Van ter
Wyngarde for Philip of Spain in 1910
seven birds, presumably pigeons, are
grouped round the spfre Of old st. Pauls.
This may or may not have been the poetic
fancy of the artist. but 1t Is certain that
directly Wren's great building dominated
the city birds began to make 1t their home.
The pigeons of the cathedral at the pres
ent day offer an interesting study to the
naturalist There two distinct colo
MES of them-the one on the east ana the
other on the west. land never the twain
shall meet" AS far as observation goes.
they are as we'll defined and separate as
the two houses of convocat,on, ana III d
member of one were to stray into the other
he would meet with a very unchrstian re-
ception They may meet In the common
foraging ground of the churchyard, where,
apart from the contributions OF the pubic
who gather there during the dinner hoar,
there are generally casual contributions W
be picked up from the horses nosebags, put
the building itself is well delimited. Nor
is it at all likely that pigeon from the
Guildhall or the tower would be welcomed
as a recruit to either chapter. Greater
hospitality might be accorded to stray
immigrant with good credentials. For II
is quite certain that the pigeons OF the
METROPOLIS both in and outside the city
apart from the few wood pigeons who
make their home in one of the parks or on
the emba nkment during the summer-are
''homers'' or the descendants OF homefs
suggestion may be offered with dlfn-
dence to Dr. Collingridge. Harting, In his
"Rirds of Middlesex," which is to be found
in the Guildhall Library, records that pair
of peregrfne falcons for many years IRE
ouented the top of st. PauIs. where 1t was
supposed they had a nest. and he ADDS, a
gentleman with whom am acquainted has
assured me that a friend of his once saw
a peregrine strike down a pigeon In Lon
don This is evidence that would, perhaps,
not he accepted in court of law, but at
any rate the peregrine falcon might as
last resort be encouraged to return to ST.
Paul's In order to prey on the pigeons.
II NAV be hoped. at all events, that the
city fathers will not allow the impression
to get abroad that city pigeon is an out
law which any one may pluck, for orfice
BOYS are sufficiently numerous and pigeons
sufficiently tame to make the absorption or
the latter by the former only matter OF
time in these circumstances. And the city
without its pigeons would be good deal
less picturesque than it is now.