

CHAPTER XX. 



Wild fowl of the lake Sea-birds Drift-wood Forces of Nature 

 at work Waves Evaporation An eagle Frost and snow 

 Effect on birds and animals Water-meadows Shooting- 

 stars Phosphorescence Waterspout Noises " in the air." 



" summer snipe," or sandpiper, conies to the 

 J_ lake regularly year after year, and remains dur- 

 ing the warm months. About a dozen visit the 

 shallow sandy reaches running along the edge of the 

 water, when disturbed flying off just above the sur- 

 face with a plaintive, piping cry. They describe a 

 semicircle, and come back to the shore a hundred 

 yards further on ; and will do this as many times as 

 you like to put them up. Sometimes they feed in 

 little parties of two or three ; sometimes alone. No 

 other place for some distance is visited by the sand- 

 piper none of the ponds or brooks ; only the lake. 



In summer but a few species of birds remain on 

 this piece of water. Only two or three wild ducks 

 stay to breed : their nests are not found on the mere 

 itself, but in the ponds adjacent. One small pond 

 fed by a lake and communicating with it dug where 

 the muddy shore would otherwise prevent cattle ap- 



