376 WILD LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



falling or snow, which facilitates freezing it is thick 

 in colour ; if the wind was still, it is dark, sleek, 

 perfectly transparent. It varies, however, in differ- 

 ent places in some having a faint, yellowish hue. 

 There are always several places where the ice does 

 not freeze till the last breathing-holes in which the 

 ducks swim ; and where a brook enters it is never 

 quite safe. 



The snipes come now to the brook and water- 

 meadows. Following the course of the stream, field- 

 fares and redwings rise in numbers from every haw- 

 thorn bush, where they have been feeding on the 

 peggles. Blackbirds start out from under the bushes, 

 where there is perhaps a little moist earth still. The 

 foam where there is a slight fall is frozen, and the 

 current runs under a roof of ice ; the white bubbles 

 travel along beneath it. The moor-hens cannot get at 

 the water ; neither can the herons or kingfishers. The 

 latter suffer greatly, and a fortnight of such severe 

 weather is fatal to them. 



I recollect walking by a brook like this, and seeing 

 the blue plumage- of a kingfisher perched on a bush. 

 I swung my gun round, ready to shoot as soon as he 

 should fly ; but the bird sat still, and took no notice of 

 my approach. Astonished at this for the kingfisher 

 sat in such a position as easily to ; see any one coming ; 

 and these birds generally start immediately they 

 perceive a person I walked swiftly up opposite the 

 bush. The bird remained on the bough. I put out 

 the barrel of my gun and touched his ruddy breast 



