1891.
Aug.31
(No.2)
Scotland.
The Trossachs. - After dinner I started out again, this 
time with E. We walked three quarters of a mile
along the road to Loch Katrine then took the
foot-path to the left in the hope of reaching
the Achray pass and getting a sight at the
river but at the bottom of the first hollow
we were stopped by the brook which had
overflowed the path. 
  The rain had slackened to a firm drizzle but
every gust of wind shook heavy showers of big
drops from the moisture-laden trees. It was not
very dark save in densely shaded places. The 
light from the sky seemed to be reflected from
the west surface of the road which stretched
on before us like a pathway of dimly-burnished 
steel. Every few rods we came upon a big Toad
which hopped clumsily to our side as we approached.
I counted a dozen in a distance of half-a-mile.
One which I caught & examined by the light of
a taper was dark brown and warty and looked
precisely like our species. It was very different
from the smooth skinned pinkish Toad I saw
at Hereford and it lacked the conspicuous
yellow dorsal stripe of the "Natterjacks" which
Capt. Salvin showed me in his garden at Guilford.
I did not examine any of the others closely but
none of them moved [delete]by[/delete] in the peculiar crawling
way of the Natterjacks.
  We heard no sounds in these woods save the
soughing of the wind in the trees and the
roaring of the swollen streams. Once a Rabbit