

202 OXFORD: THE UPPER RIVER 



cannot reach the nest because of the deep pool of 

 water which the torn-up roots have left. And hobbies 



; , ' breed here every year. Fortunately for themselves, 



they do not come to this country until the leaf is on 

 the trees. Sometimes they nest in an old kestrel's 

 nest, and sometimes in that of a crow. They have a 

 pretty habit of toying about just over the tops of the 

 trees like large moths. Even an inexperienced hand 

 -a«»^ [\p may know them by their white throats. They live 



almost entirely on insect life, though the keepers will 

 not credit this. 



All those holes in the bank are made by the cray- 

 Oi^^^i- * fish. The Thames-side loafers catch them in a flat 



muslin net baited with bits of meat. 



We must particularly notice this still backwater, not 



««v,. v^%<vw«aJ'/v>. only because of the beautiful lily-like Limnanthemum 



yoAAvr^^^C^^^W (it has, 1 think, no English name) and Ranunculus 



^ fS lingua^ the noble water-spearwort, but because it is 



the home of one of the most fascinating creatures in 



all the range of animal life — namely, Argyronetron, the 



X water-spider — the first who made the diving-bell. 



ds. Watch it at its work. First of all it makes the bell: 



weaving it round and round, closer and closer, till the 



'^'^^'Ph^f^' web is air-tight all throughout ; then it lashes it firmly 



"" *'. to the neighbouring plants, and so begins to fill it. 



Now comes the most wonderful part. Swimming to 





