IN THE TIME OF FLOODS 61 



for the flocks, the numerous creeks are crossed by 

 wooden sheep-bridges. In a marsh tide the sheep, 

 if overtaken by the water, crowd on to these bridges, 

 which are slightly higher than the adjacent levels of 

 orach and crab-grass, and wait for the waters to go 

 down. While the sheep take refuge on the bridges, 

 the rabbits, which spread from the sandhills on to 

 the banks in the higher parts of the marsh, climb 

 into the bushes of that curious plant, the suaeda, to 

 escape the water. The suddenness and depth of some 

 recent floods may be gathered from the fact that 

 in the valley of the little river Stort, between Essex 

 and Hertfordshire, a hundred and fifty sheep were 

 drowned on an ordinary Home Counties farm. 



On flat ground nearly all the smaller mammals, 

 except moles, but including foxes, climb into bushes 

 and trees to escape the water. During a flood of 

 the Trent near Clifton in Nottinghamshire, the hares 

 were seen sitting up in the hedges, where they re- 

 mained, and though screaming with fear, allowed 

 themselves to be picked up from a boat. In the 

 hedges there were also seen sitting rabbits, rats, field- 

 voles, shrews, and occasionally a hedgehog. All the 

 moles were drowned ; but the weasels and stoats, 

 which are excellent swimmers, made for trees, in 

 which they were quite at home. 



In the Thames Valley the thousands of pollard 

 willows are the welcome and easily reached refuge of 

 all kinds of flooded-out animals, including a con- 

 siderable amount of insect life. The rats, in these 

 hard times, eat the snails, beetles, and other refugees 



