Pond Life 
among the dead bulrushes. The 
croaking of a pair of carrion crows, which 
were busy making their nest in a big 
oak not far away, made him every now 
and then raise his head from where 
he had tucked it under his feathers, 
and take a good look round; but he 
soon settled down again. ‘Then a teal 
dashed up and settled out of sight among 
the bulrushes, and soon afterwards a 
dabchick was seen swimming, and 
diving, and finally it also disappeared 
in the same place. 
In the trees just over my head two 
or three pairs of herons were building 
and making their usual curious noises. 
Presently one of these long-legged birds 
flew down, and sailed on its great round 
broad wings, until I thought it was 
going to pitch down in the water close 
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