350 WILD LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



goldfinches), blackbirds, and so on, are constantly to 

 and fro. Often several of different species are bath- 

 ing together. The wagtails, of course, are there. The 

 wagtail wades into the water and stands there. Some- 

 times he has the appearance of scraping the bottom 

 with his feet, as if to find food. Blackbirds are espe- 

 cially fond of this spot, and may be seen coming to it 

 from the adjacent hedges. They like water, and 

 frequently feed near it ; a blackbird may often be 

 found under the great hawthorn bushes which over- 

 hang the stream. Hawks may be seen occasionally 

 following the course of the brook or perched on the 

 trees that grow near ; they are doubtless aware of 

 the partiality for water shown by so many birds. 



The fish have their own favourite places as the birds 

 in the hedge, and after leaving the hatch there are 

 none for some distance. Then the brook suddenly 

 curves and forms a loop, returning almost upon itself 

 something like the letter ft. The tongue of land thus 

 enclosed is broad at the top, and but two or three 

 yards across at the bottom. There the current on 

 either side is for ever endeavouring to eat away the 

 narrow neck, and forms two deep pools. Some few 

 piles have been driven in on one side to check the 

 process of disintegration, and a willow-tree overhangs 

 the pool there. By lying on the grass and quietly look- 

 ing over the brink, the roach may be seen swimming 

 in the deeper part, and where it shallows up stream is 

 a perch waiting for what may come down. Where 

 the water runs slowly on account of a little bay, there, 



