BY THE MILL-STREAM. 141 



the middle of the meadow, squatting like birds, in 

 the moss and peat -fibre, where it is very warm; 

 and they evidently find plenty to eat, for they are 

 plump for frogs. Why they prefer the middle of 

 the meadow to the water, where they are generally 

 supposed to be, is best known to themselves. I 

 certainly have never seen that variety of the frog 

 family near water in the heat of summer. 



Let us examine one of the narrow dykes ; there 

 is a current running through all of them. As a 

 general rule they are about a foot in depth, except 

 where a wooden spout has decayed, and, being re- 

 moved, left a hole. Coarse grass grows in tufts 

 along the sides, and dips into the water in many 

 places. The bottom is clear from weeds, and only 

 a few stones are to be seen on it here and 

 there. Into one hole, deeper than the rest, we 

 look very cautiously for some time. A water-shrew, 

 or bubble - mouse, has been swimming across the 

 bottom, poking his sharp nose under all the little 

 bits of stone and stick in his way, and is now 

 making for the spot we are looking at ; he darts 

 back quicker than he came, as a trout swims- 

 out from the bank and goes back again, but not 



