AUGUST. 211 



Lilies very beautiful; Horse Chestnuts getting quite large and come 

 paltering down when the wind blows; Sand Martins and Swallows 

 also flying round the water most of day; pleased to see Kingfisher 

 go darting past; many Jackdaws clamouring overhead; hundreds of 

 Rabbits out on the hillside in his lordship's park, also many Deer; 

 the young Fawns quite strong; noticed the curious fruit of what I 

 believe to be the Black Poplar; Robin uttering winch-like note and 

 singing most of day. 



7th. Fine most of day, but cold winds. The Chick weed is 

 blooming again for the second time, also Shepherd's Purse. 



Mr. Hesketh Prichard is shortly starting for Patagonia to hunt 

 for the Giant Sloth or Pampean Mylodon, an animal about 12 feet 

 high. It is said to be one of the few surviving animals of the post- 

 glacial period The expedition is going out at the expense of the 

 "Daily Express." This expedition was orginated by the discovery 

 of a piece of dried skin, now in the South Kensington Museum. It 

 was found on the coast of Southern Patagonia, at Consuelo Cove, in 

 Last Hope Inlet, hung upon the trunk of a tree. Having been 

 brought home by Dr. F. P. Moreno, and examined with some other 

 remains of skin, bones, and teeth, it was decided that the discoverers 

 were on the track of the Giant Sloth, hitherto thought to be extinct. 

 It is stated that the creature is, or was, a very ponderous, hairy animal, 

 possessed of little intelligence, the thigh bones being of dimensions 

 unknown in any other animal. 



1 hear the Hon. Walter Rothschild has this Summer hatched nine 

 American Rhea birds from as many eggs at Tring Park. This is 

 wonderful success, as it is rare for even eight out of nine to hatch in 

 England. No food was given to the young ones for the first three 

 days, after which they were fed on hard-boiled eggs and meal until 

 old enough to be put on the regulation diet of dog biscuits. 



8th. Drizzling rain first thing, but fine later. The evenings 

 draw in very quickly; it is almost dark at 8.15, and the Bats prowl 

 round my house as early as eight o'clock. The Summer is on the 

 wane. 



To-day is the 307th anniversary of the birth of Izaak Walton, who 

 was born in 1593. 



9th. Dull and threatening early, rain later. Asters in flower in 

 the garden. 



