1890
Aug. 3
Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
dor-beetles. In some of them there must have been nearly or
quite a peck of these unfortunate creatures which I suppose had
wasted their strength & finally perished in vain attempts
to climb the overhanging walls. At least I could conceive of
no other cause of their death although it is certainly
curious that the toads did not escape, as they could
have done easily enough, by swimming the narrow ditch, 
which in most places had gently inclined banks, and
the beetles by flying.
  On reaching the harbor we lunched and then followed 
the beach, Spelman on land I sailing the canoe, out
to the nests of the Least Terns that I found
yesterday and the day before. Spelman took a 
number of photographs of these nests while I searched
for more, finding one with 2 beautifully marked eggs.
One set of two eggs on which the bird was sitting
yesterday at 10 A.M. had hatched in the interim. 
I found first the shells blowing about over the 
sand and then the young birds squatting about 
15 yds. apart each at the base of a scanty
tuft of beach grass. Spelman photographed them 
both. 
  I sailed back to town late in the afternoon 
having a light but steady fair wind. Saw two
Black Scoters fishing together off Katama.
  (Left Edgartown for Falmouth on the afternoon
of the 4th) and went to Cambridge on the 6th).