SOME BIRDS OF THE WATERFALLS 173 



Browne, Shakespeare and Cowper illustrative of 

 these powers. 



But let us look at the beautiful bird in its haunts. 

 We follow the course of the hazel and willow-fringed 

 stream over a mile of its pebbly reaches. There a 

 pair of sand-pipers start with tremulous wings and 

 skirt the sand-margined banks; then a dipper flits 

 to the green moss-covered stone, and displays its 

 white breast in the sunlight. The loose soil slips 

 from beneath my feet, and I clutch a spray, only to 

 alarm a wren that has her dome-shaped nest against 

 the trunk of a neighbouring elm. There, below, the 

 water-voles gnaw the sweet aquatic plants, and 

 the water-hens run and hide under the friendly 

 roots of an overhanging thorn. The may-fly is 

 upon the stream, and the silvery fresh-run fish 

 seem all animation ; even the great black trout in the 

 " willow dub " condescends to take a fat bluebottle 

 that is spinning round and round on the pool. 

 Dragon-flies dart hither and thither, bronze-fly and 

 bumble-bee are upon the wing, and the carpet of 

 moss and flowers is alive with innumerable insects, 

 all busily engaged in fertilising their flower friends, 

 revelling in minute drops of honey, and gilded with 

 golden pollen. The lime trees are a " murmurous 

 haunt of summer wings," and you can feel the breath 

 of life on your cheek. You look through Nature up 

 to Nature's God, and feel how marvellous are all His 



