1886
Nov. 22
Great Island, Hyannis, Mass.
  Clear slightly colder than yesterday; wind N.
  To the deer park immediately after breakfast, armed
with rifles as before. On approaching the pigeon cotes when
corn is placed daily and peeping over a knoll I saw a 
fine young brick standing under the trees but he was 
out of sight in an instant before I could rain my rifle.
A female Pheasant (P. colchicus) was also sitting erect in the path
but she too disappeared like a flash, running into the brush.
Concealing ourselves we awaited the return of the deer,
In a few minutes he appeared skulking through the trees
and finally halting within fair range. I could have shot
him easily but C. wanted to count three and five with
me; result a misunderstanding, neither fired, and the 
buck vanished. Several does afterwards came, and our
approaching us from behind stole up within ten yards,
them with a thump of the fore food and surreal knots
bounded away leaping ridiculously high in air as if clearing
imaginary obstacles although the ground was then smooth
and open.
[margin]Virginia Deer[/margin]
  We afterwards tramped over the entire park seeing about
a dozen deer in all, mostly does. They were, excessively
shy.  I shot twice, once at a field mouse sitting on the 
edge of a pond, the second time at a red squirrel on a 
tree, killing both. C. shot a hare ( Lepus americanus) 
which was in nearly pure white pillage.
  After dinner went out on the sand-hills behind
the house with shot  guns and killed four pigeons,
two each. These birds fly regularly return the woods
and the beaches at low tide.
  Late in the afternoon returned to the park taking
the rifles. Saw nothing in the woods but on reaching