1891.
July 2
(No 9)
England.
Tintern. - After dinner I strolled down past the
old Abbey to the river. The evening was perfectly
clear and as cool as an early October evening at
home. Blackbirds were singing in every direction
and in the woods on the opposite side of the
river a Robin and a Wood Pigeon could be distinctly
heard at intervals. The coo of the Pigeon was 
the same as that which I heard at Chester on
June 24th. I have not heard it since before
to-night. It is hoarse and low and far from
musical.
  The Swifts had not all gone to bed until 9 o'clock
when the Bats were out. I see two different 
species, one the smallest that I have ever met
with, the other as large as our common small
bat. There is nothing peculiar in the flight of
either.
  In one of the gardens behind the Abbey a female
Redstart was chirping excitedly and continually
as I passed. Two Snails were crossing the
lane. I do not see as many of the latter as
I had expected. Thus far I have seen only four
butterflies, them being our common Cabbage Butterfly
and the fourth a small brown species.
  There were no insect sounds whatever this evening.
Indeed a cricket which chirped occasionally in
the yard behind our house at Chester is the only
insect that I have heard.
  In the middle of the night during a brief
waking spell I heard my first Sandpiper. It gave four
notes in exactly the form of the Greater Yellow-legs but the
pitch as high as our Peetweet's & the tone like that of a silver bell.