1891. 
July 9
England.
Clovelly. - Forenoon cloudy clearing at noon, the after-
noon cloudless with a clam sea just dimpled by
a gentle N.E. breeze, the fair weather wind here
they say,
   In the forenoon we took the famous "Hobby Drive",
starting at 11 o'clock.  It is by far the most beautiful
thing of the kind that I have seen in England.
The road, three miles in length, is almost perfectly
level and very winding, following closely the contour
of the almost vertical but everywhere heavily wooded
cliffs and crossing several ravines by stone arched
bridges. The woods are chiefly oaks & beeches with 
a few birches, larches and chestnuts. There are 
no yews and I think no pines. All the trees are old.
What becomes of the leaves in English woods? There
is nowhere any trace of those of last year's growth.
Under these oaks and beeches the ground was
covered either with ferns or moss. The bank along
the upper side of the road was shoulder-deep
with ferns among which gleamed the brilliant 
spikes of the foxgloves.
  A Robin and a Chiffchaff were the only birds
heard singing in these woods. Tits were chirping
in many places and I caught glympses of a
Warbler or two. On the whole the bird fauna
disappointed me. I had hoped for Nuthatches
and Woodpeckers as well as Jays and Magpies
but it seems that there are Pheasants, with 
the usual attendant game keepers thirsty for
the blood of all "Vermin". At least our Kestrel
had eluded these, however.