A -RIVER. NIGHTINGALE 201 



If you wish to reach the river from parts of this narrow, 

 trodden path you must fight your way through the willow 

 herb, and risk a wetting in the random ditch. One of 

 these is half-lined with the great white running roots that 

 adapt themselves as perfectly to the conditions of water 

 and mud as the white roots of the bind-weed to the roots 

 of our gooseberry bushes. If the loosestrife is preferred 

 of the butterflies, the sedge by the river is the favourite of 

 the flies we libellously label &quot; dragon.&quot; Some apology 

 for the word is offered by the Latinate who have chris 

 tened two species &quot; virgo &quot; and &quot; puella.&quot; On this 

 August day the Calopterix virgo (lovely winged virgin), 

 which we know as demoiselle, is everywhere. Is there a 

 more beautiful flash of colour in nature ? The iridescent 

 blues and greens of the body, the brown and purple wings, 

 are too gorgeous to allow themselves the diaphanous 

 quality of other dragonflies. Sound and sight consented 

 to as sweet a relation as any senses could need. The 

 delightful Anne Pratt, writing of The Willow Herb, quotes 

 her Chaucer : 



And the river which that I sate upon 

 It made sich a noise as it ron, 

 Accordant with the birdis armony 

 Methought it was the best melody 

 That mighten bin y hearde of any man. 



And so I thought with emphasis as I sat on the horizontal 

 willow listening to sedge warbler and the Lea, and watch 

 ing the demoiselles* 



4- 



On the pier at Llandudno a great gull that had quite 

 abandoned any fear of man pegged out a claim by one of 

 the kiosks ; and has occupied it for some years. It stands 



