1891.
Sept.1
Scotland.
The Trossachs. - A frightful storm raging all last night
and to-day, the wind so strong at times as to 
shake the stone hotel to its foundations, the rain 
falling in sheets. Barometer down to 28.7.
  Spent most of the day in the house but
late in the afternoon donned my mackintosh
and walked down the road as far as
the beginning of the woods. To my great 
surprise found both the streams which
cross the road shrunk to less than
one-fourth the volume of water which 
they had yesterday. I cannot understand
this except on the assumption that the
moors and mountain sides absorb water
more readily after they become thoroughly
soaked. Certainly the rainfall has been
heavier during the past 24 hours than
during an equal period preceeding them. 
  As I left the hotel three Mallards, doubtless
the same birds which I have noted before,
came flying in from the Loch and, after
skimming close over the fields in a 
great circle, whirled into the oatfield
where they alighted in the midst of
the uncut grain. The only other birds
that I saw were six or eight Chaffinches,
mostly young, feeding on oats in horse-
droppings in the road.
  I looked everywhere for toads but
without success.