COOL AND CLEAR 237 



£io per thousand. Good catches of flounders were also 

 made in the tidal waters of the Upper Thames a few 

 years ago and many a dish of these small flat-fish freshly 

 caught from the river and piping hot from the pan, 

 used one to enjoy at the Angler's Hotel, Teddington, 

 and the old King's Head, Twickenham, both of which 

 hostelries were noted for flounders boiled and flounders 

 fried. No doubt a few of these fish still find their 

 way up to Teddington from the sea, but we are told by 

 the local fishermen that since the lock and weir were 

 erected at Richmond, punt-anglers very seldom take a 

 dish of flounders. 



A kingfisher now settles on the overhanging bough of 

 a weeping- willow within half a dozen yards of the heron's 

 pitch. As we study the movements of the brilliantly 

 plumaged bird through the binoculars he suddenly darts, 

 like a flash of blue lightning, into the foam-flecked water 

 running over the shallows. 



But unfortunately for the halcyon and his half-fledged 

 family, who are waiting for his return to the malodorous 

 retreat (the nest of the kingfisher is mainly composed of 

 the disgorged remains of small fish, and the scent thereof 

 is indescribable) which takes the form of a burrow in 

 the river bank, the attempt proves fishless, and the 

 gorgeous bird goes back to his point of vantage on the 

 willow branch. 



Another plunge and this time our brilliant little friend 

 emerges with a tiny fish. He taps his scaly catch twice 

 or thrice upon a bough and then with a flight as straight 

 and well-nigh as swift as that of an arrow he passes out 

 of sight. 



A couple of very tame wild ducks next appear on the 



