This work investigates the complex ecological transformation of London, questioning how centuries of human expansion have fundamentally altered the distribution and survival of local flora and fauna. R. S. R. Fitter, a noted naturalist, synthesizes historical records and biological observations to document the impact of urbanization on the city's natural environment. The text provides a framework for understanding the city not as a sterile landscape, but as a dynamic ecosystem shaped by human intervention, industrial growth, and shifting land use. By examining the interplay between human activity and the natural world, the author illustrates the processes of habitat destruction and the subsequent emergence of new, urban-adapted species.

The subject matter points to a foundational, scholarly text that serves as a definitive record of urban ecology within the context of the British capital. The framing suggests a dense, observational study intended for naturalists and historians interested in the long-term environmental consequences of metropolitan development.