RAMBLE VI. 



BY LAKES AND STREAMS. 



WE now come to the bird life of the inland 

 waters those feathered dwellers by the lake and 

 stream. Birds in plenty may be found in these 

 localities. The rivers and pools are the home of 

 a waterside population as specialised as it is in- 

 teresting. For the sake of simplicity I have 

 deemed it best to deal first with a little group 

 of birds only found in summer on the banks of 

 our northern waters. They are the birds of the 

 moorland streams and the mountain pools which 

 may be sought in vain near southern waters, and 

 include one or two of the rarest British species. 



Nothing can exceed the romantic grandeur of 

 these dancing streams, set in a fringe of birch 

 and alder trees, or the beauty of the quiet, rush- 

 bordered mountain pools. Wherever the bed of 

 the stream is rocky, we are almost certain of 

 meeting with the GRAY WAGTAIL (Motacilla, sul- widely 

 phurea), a species bluish gray above, shading into S 

 green on the rump, yellow below, the male with 

 black throat. This graceful little bird appears 

 upon these northern streams with the first signs 

 of returning spring, and during the mild, breezy 



