THE WATER-COLLET. 131 



water, pushing his head over the edge into it. Next 

 he stepped into the current, which, though shallow, 

 looked strong enough to sweep him away. The water 

 checked against him rose to the white mark on his 

 breast. He waded up the rapid, every now and then 

 thrusting his head completely under the water ; some- 

 tunes he was up to his neck, sometimes not so deep; now 

 and then getting on a stone, searching right and left 

 as he climbed the cascade. The eddying water shot by 

 his slender legs, but he moved against it easily, and 

 soon ascended the waterfall. At the summit a second 

 colley flew past, and he rose and accompanied his friend. 

 Upon a ledge of rock I saw him once more, but there 

 was no hedge to hide me, and he would not feed ; he 

 stood and curtsied, and at the moment of bobbing let 

 his wings too partly down, his tail drooping at the same 

 time. Calling in an injured tone, as if much annoyed, 

 he flew, swept round the meadow, and so to the river 

 behind me. His friend followed. On reaching the 

 river at a safe distance down, he skimmed along the 

 surface like a kingfisher. They find abundance of 

 insect life among the stones at the falls, and everywhere 

 in shallow water. Some accuse them of taking the 

 ova of trout, and they are shot at trout nurseries ; but 

 it is doubtful if they are really guilty, nor can they do 

 any appreciable injury in an open stream, not being in 

 sufficient numbers. It is the birds and other creatures 

 peculiar to the water that render fly-fishing so 

 pleasant ; were they all destroyed, and nothing left but 

 the mere fish, one might as well stand and fish in a 

 stone cattle-trough. I hope all true lovers of sport will 

 assist in preserving rather than in killing them. 



