of the several holes drilled by Flickers in the walls.
David Fisher came to our shelter just as the shower
ceased. He told me that he had met a man picking
blueberries who said that he saw a "Heath'-'hen" with
six young about half grown yesterday.
  At about 11 a.m. we got off and started to sail
down the pond but the wind increased to such an
extent that we judged it wiser to return and
accordingly made for the E end of the pond, I
sailing close hauled, my companion rowing.
  I saw many Black Ducks and started another
larger flock of Gulls from the Sand Bar. Most of
them were immature [?] but there were several
Herring Gulls also, including one fine adult which
had one wing injured in some way and was unable
to fly. I passed within a few yards of a Black Duck
which looked like a wild bird but which was followed
by eight or ten young only a few days old.  All of these
young but one with dark plumbious[?] the exception having
a yellowish white head and neck. The old bird
thrashed about & quacked loudly but did not actually fly.
  We started down the herring ditch at 1.30 P.M.
and reached the outlet just as a heavy thunder shower
burst over us. I sat through it in my canoe my companion
taking shelter in the K. R. station. At the height of
the downpour a Least Tern plunged into the water near
me and emerged with a small fish although the surface
was literally churned with foam by the pelting rain drops.
A Barn Swallow took refuge under the bank near me.
In the pond we saw many [?] & white perch
the latter dying in great numbers from some epidemic.
  Reached Edgartown at 5 P.M. 