Overview: The way of life of many animals was shaped by the industrial age. The canal network not only provided transport for bulk goods, it was also a fantastic new habitat. In Wales slate quarries, with their cliff-like ledges, provided a new home for coastal birds and falcons. London in the 1800s was the largest city in the world. Coal fires choked the city and the Victorians planted large numbers of London plane trees. They became the capital's lungs, changing the tree-scape of cities forever.