214 WOODLAND, MOOR, AND STREAM 



round one of the numerous bends, or you may see 

 him perched on a twig that grows over some deep 

 hole. The shadows from the trees make the water 

 look dark green, bringing out his bright orange breast 

 and the brilliant blue stripe on his back in fine relief. 

 He will not move unless we startle him. His know- 

 ing head is cocked on one side ; presently he says 

 ' Dick ! ' plunges, and for the moment you see a 

 splash of rainbow hues, as the light falls on the 

 rippled water and the bird. Wagtails the pied and 

 yellow ones trip and peck on the sandy sides, pertly 

 wagging their long tails, whilst that otterlike little 

 creature, the water-vole, cleans his fur as he sits on 

 the edge of the stream. This nimble little swimmer 

 has his home on the banks ; so have some other 

 creatures. One notes these little things in sauntering 

 along, as part and parcel of the stream. Beautiful 

 trout two-pounders, fine in form and bright in colour 

 have their abiding-place by the old grey bridge. 

 There is quite a pool, and the cattle have worn the 

 banks almost down to the water's edge on both sides. 

 A few old posts are in the water on one side, the 

 remains of a plank foot-bridge that has come to grief 

 some time when the flood-waters rushed down. A 

 few yards further down is a shallow, covered with 

 sand and pebbles. Below this is another pool, of 



