Seconnett Point, Rhode Island.
1890
April 20
Clear and warmer. Win N. W in morning, S. W. to S.
in afternoon, very light all day.
  We rose at 4 a.M. and after our usual light
breakfast of coffee, eggs & bread started out rowing to
the stations off East Island. I took the outer [?].
My first shot was at some Butter bills which passed
me from behind. I killed my first & missed my
 second bird. Shortly after this Mackay shot a White-wing
which flew a long distance and fell outside of me.
He brought it to me and our boats were lying side
by side when a pair of Butter-bills passed within 
good range. I killed the first, a ♀, and wounded the
other, a ♂, so badly that M. would not fire at it
until it was nearly out of range thinking it would
surely fall but it kept on out of sight. There was
a very heavy flight of Loons this morning and M.
killed one just after leaving me & while rowing to
his decoys. It came over him low down offering
a very easy shot.  
  My last shot while lying outside was at a bunch
of White-wings which passed within 30 yds. Two fell
to the first barrel and one to the second, all
three so hard hit that I got them without 
having to shoot any of them over. Indeed two of
them were perfectly dead when I reached them.
I missed a few long shots and one fair one the 
latter at a fine "black|" Old Squaw that [?]
in to my decoys. There was a moderate flight
of Scoters of all three species for about two 
hours after sunrise.
  We took up the decoys and started in at
8 A.M. As we were rowing through the