SPRINGS AND STREAMS 



They often seem to have very clear ideas on 

 the point, and will prefer one stream to another, 

 and go off together at certain regular hours to 

 their chosen drinking-place. Sheep seem to 

 require very little water; cattle want a good 

 deal more. Some birds also seem to be frequent 

 drinkers, and have at times great difficulty in a 

 hard frost to find any piece of water that is not 

 covered with ice. It is then a kindness to put 

 out a saucer of water for them each morning, 

 and after they have discovered it, and become 

 accustomed to it, we shall have many oppor- 

 tunities of watching them, and of finding out 

 what birds stay in our neighbourhood during the 

 winter months. 



Water plays such an important part in our 

 daily lives, and is so necessary to our health 

 and general well-being, that it is extremely 

 wrong to do anything which may spoil the 

 supply of it, either for ourselves or our neigh- 

 bours. A little carelessness may injure many 

 people's health, and a little thought and trouble 

 may often give a good supply to a whole 

 district So important is it known to be that, 

 in old days, wells and streams were often 

 called holy, and were put under the especial 

 protection of saints and other good men and 

 women. By this means the people were taught 

 to respect the gift of a plentiful supply of water, 

 and be grateful for it ; they were thus persuaded 

 to keep the ground around their spring clean 



(93) 



