196 Wild Life in a Southern County 



of snakes, for there is one here and there in the grass 

 gliding away at the jar of the earth under your footstep. 

 Warmth and moisture favour their increase, as on a larger 

 scale in tropic lands ; and parts of the mead are often 

 under water when a freshet comes down the brooks so 

 choked with flags that they cannot carry it away quickly. 



The osier-bed in the angle where the brooks join is on 

 slightly higher ground, for although the withy likes water 

 at its roots it should not stand in it. Springing across 

 the ditch, and entering among the tall slender wands, 

 which, though they look so thick part aside easily, you 

 may find on the mound behind the butt of an oak sawn 

 just above the ground ; and there, in the shade of the 

 reeds, and with a cool breeze now and again coming along 

 the course of the stream, it is delicious in the heat of 

 summer to repose and listen to the murmur of the water. 



The moorhens come down the current slowly, searching 

 about among the flags ; the reed warblers are busy in the 

 hedge ; at the month of his hole sits a water-rat rubbing 

 his face between his paws ; across the stream comes his 

 mate, swimming slowly with one end of a long green sedge 

 in her mouth, and the rest towed behind on the surface. 

 They are the beavers of our streams — amusing, intelligent 

 little creatures, utterly different in habits from the rat of 

 the drain. Move but a hand, and instantly they fall rather 

 than dive into the water, making a sound like ' thock ' as 

 chey strike it; and then they run along the bottom, or 

 seem to do so, as swiftly as on dry land. But in a few 

 minutes out they come again, being at the same time 

 extremely timid and as quickly reassured ; so that if you 

 remain perfectly still they will approach within a yard. 



Where the two brooks meet a hollow willow tree hangs 

 over the brown pool — brown with suspended sand and 



