WILD LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 361 



I have been over the water-meadows day after day for 

 snipe, I seldom saw a frog about them here. 



When the level of the mere, after a peculiarly dry 

 season, is very low is also a good time to observe the 

 habits of many other creatures. There are always 

 one or more crows about the neighbourhood of the 

 lake ; but at such times a dozen or so may be seen 

 busily at work along the shore. They prey on the 

 mussels, of which there are great numbers in the lake. 

 Any one passing by the water when it is so shallow 

 can hardly fail to notice long, narrow grooves in the 

 sand of the bottom. These grooves begin near the 

 edge perhaps within a foot of it and then run out 

 into the deeper part. By following these with the 

 eye, the mussel may often be seen in a foot or two of 

 water sometimes open, but more generally closed. 

 The groove in the sand is caused by the keel of the 

 shell as the creature moves. 



There are hundreds of these tracks ; the majority 

 appear to ru,n from shallow to deep water, but there 

 are others crossing and showing where the mussel has 

 travelled. Oae may occasionally be seen in the act 

 of moving itself, and making the groove in the sand. 

 But they seem as a rule to move most at night, and 

 to approach the shore closest in the darkness. In 

 the deep water they are safe ; but near the edge the 

 crows pounce on them, and may be seen peering 

 about almost all day long. 



Besides those that are eaten on the shore, numbers 



of mussels are carried up on the rising ground where 



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