312 Wild Life in a Southern County 



The old folks say that the irrigated meadows (and 

 other open waters) do not freeze in the evening till the 

 moon rises ; a bright clear moon is credited with causing 

 the water to ' catch ' — that is, the slender, thread-like 

 spicules form on the surface, and, joining together, finally 

 cover it. It is, of course, because the water-meadows are 

 long before altogether frozen that the duck and teal come 

 down to them. When the brooks are frozen is almost the 

 only time when the dabchick can be got to rise : at other 

 times this bird will dive and redive, and double about in 

 the water, and rather be caught by the spaniels than take 

 wing. But when the ice prevents this they will fly. 

 Wood-pigeons go to the few places that remain moist, and 

 also frequent the hawthorn bushes with the fieldfares. 

 They seem fond of trees that are overgrown with ivy, pro- 

 bably for the berries. 



The fish are supposed to go down upon the mud; 

 but the jacks certainly do the reverse : they may be seen 

 lying just beneath the ice, and apparently touching it 

 with their backs. They seem partly torpid. In open 

 winters, such as we have had of recent years, the hedge 

 fruit remains comparatively untouched by birds: from 

 which it would appear that it is not altogether a favourite 

 food. 



The country folk, who are much about at night and 

 naturally pay great heed to the weather, are persuaded 

 that on rainy nights more shooting stars are seen than 

 when it is bright and clear. The kind of weather they 

 mean is when scudding clouds with frequent breaks pass 

 over, now obscuring and now leaving part of the sky visible, 

 and with occasional showers. These shooting stars, thev 

 say, are but just above the clouds, and are mere streaks of 

 light: by which they mean to convey that they have no 



