BIRDS OF THE MARSH AND LAKE 



At the head of the lake the water is very shallow, 

 so that the broken pebbles can be clearly seen, and 

 if the eye is drawn to the ring of a rising trout, its 

 shadowy form can be seen darting from beneath 

 the dimple. 



The stream which feeds the lake runs into a tiny 

 bay, and so, on the stillest noontide, when the 

 broad expanse beyond is flat as a looking-glass, 

 there is always a ripple and a pleasant murmur of 

 moving water here. On the opposite shore, a dense 

 reed-bed encroaches far upon the surface, forming 

 an aquatic forest with tinv waterways and open 

 pools in its recesses, where the Coots and Water- 

 hens — mere black dots in the distance — swim in 

 and out. 



Soon a great shadow falls upon the grass and 

 turns the eye instantly upwards. A Heron is 

 passing over, his broad wings rising and falling 

 in regular beats. He pursues a straight and 

 definite course, with his neck drawn closely between 

 his shoulders and his legs extending stifliy behind, 

 looking like a spine projecting from the thicker 

 mass of feathers of the tail. 



The banks of the stream are for the most part 

 open, with reedy and tussocky hollows, but here 

 and there are little nooks, sheltered by trees and 

 bushes with long overhanging sprays which dip 



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