74 FROM SPRING TO FALL. 



showed as they rose and sucked in chafer, beetle, 

 or caterpillar that had fallen from the trees into 

 the water; and the quick dace made their darts 

 at the provender on the water, but not a rise or 

 a dart from either did I ever get, worth mention- 

 ing. Large fish that have lived long have all 

 their wits about them. One small island close to 

 shore, which in the season was white with snow- 

 drops, was a favourite place for perch in passing 

 on their way to deeper water above. It had a 

 course of clear water, with a bottom of golden 

 sand — a perch -swim if ever there was one; but 

 not a fish was hooked there, for this reason — 

 the creatures had been feeding on the shallows, 

 and were going that way home to a deep hole by 

 the side of the weir. 



If the fish would bite, all well and good ; if not, 

 it mattered little to a naturalist, for there was 

 plenty to see there. The heron would rise from his 

 stand where he had been fishing ; moor-hens flit in 

 and out, flirting their tails ; and now and then you 

 would get a sight of that hideling the landrail or 

 corncrake. You would hear him in any case. 

 More than once have I seen fine specimens of the 



