THE WHITE HORSE 69 



insects. "Waiting for a rise" under such cir- 

 cumstances is slow work. I was well placed for 

 watching the motions of this fish, but in the 

 worst possible place for casting over him. I 

 could not get further below him, and to cast 

 down upon him from above would have been 

 equally futile, so for the time being I decided to 

 creep silently away without causing him any 

 disturbance. 



While I was waiting under my willow a pair 

 of young turtle-doves came from the wood and 

 alighted in the tree above me. One soon flew 

 back into the wood, and the other flew down to 

 what he thought was a patch of grass, I suppose 

 to get a drink, but the patch was a treacherous 

 piece of weed, and he flopped down into the 

 water ; it was amusing to watch his struggles to 

 get out of the water and the weeds; he suc- 

 ceeded at last, and was soon off into the woods 

 to dry his beautiful feathers. 



This is a wonderful country for birds. I 

 never heard so many cuckoos from early morn- 

 ing to late at night the cuckoo's monotonous 

 but interesting song, latterly running into three 

 " cucks " to one " coo," as is his custom when 

 contemplating departure, seems to be all round 



