1891.
Aug.30
(No 5)
Scotland.
The Trossachs. - brook that passes under the road
near the hotel.
  While on the Loch we saw only one Mallard
and that flying over high up but there were
four young Gooseanders about 3/4 grown and
unable to fly swimming near the middle.
I rowed out to them getting within gun shot
before they began diving. One became separated 
from the others which called to it loudly as 
soon as we had passed. After a few calls 
and answers the single bird started and
ran several hundreds yards on the water
when the other three also began running
towards it, the four finally coming together
most precipitately. The call just mentioned
was a soft peep-peep very like that of
young [?] Ducks. I do not remember
ever hearing anything like it from the young
of Merganser americanus.
 There are absolutely no sounds in these fields
or woods save the chirping of birds. I searched
the interval field (lately mown) in front of
the house to-day for crickets & grasshoppers
but not one could I find or hear. The
total absence of insect notes strikes me
at times with a positive chill and makes
me long to return to my own land. 
I also miss sadly our golden rods & asters.
There seem to be no fall flowers here; nothing
but a few belated specimens of the early
summer kinds.