May 1 + 

Cycled to the Lighthouse at the mouth of the Estuary. Underneath some telegraph wires, picked up a Land rail in excellent condition. The colour of the wings is a beautiful warm chestnut. While sweeping the sand hills with my field-glasses in search of Ring Plover, which nest there in the shingle beaches, I espied a Shelduck (Tadorna) squatting on a piece of level ground. On walking up cautiously, found it was dead⁠—a Drake in splendid plumage and quite fresh and uninjured. Put him in my poacher’s pocket, alongside of the Land rail. My coat looked rather bulgy, for a Shelduck is nearly as big as a Goose. Heard a Grasshopper Warbler⁠—a rare bird in North ⸻. Later, after much patient watching, saw the bird in a bramble bush, creeping about like a mouse. + 

On the seashore picked up a number of Sea Mice (Aphrodite) and bottled them in my jar of 70 percent, as they will come in useful for dissection. Also found the cranium of a Scyllium, which I will describe later on. + 

Near the Lighthouse watched some fishermen bring in a large Salmon in a seine net worked from the shore. It was most exciting. Cycled down three miles of hard sand with the wind behind me to the village where I had tea and⁠—as if nothing could stay today’s good luck⁠—met Margaret ⸻. I showed her one by one all my treasures⁠—Rail, Duck, Skull, Sea Mice, etc., and felt like Thomas Edward, beloved of Samuel Smiles. To her I must have appeared a very ridiculous person. + 

“How do you know it’s the skull of a dogfish?” she asked, incredulous. + 

“How do I know anything?” I said, a little piqued. + 

On arriving home found T⁠⸺ awaiting me with the news that he had discovered a Woodpecker’s nest. When will the luck cease? I have never had such a flawless ten hours in le grand air. These summer days eat into my being. The sea has been roaring into my ears and the sun blazing down so that even the backs of my hands are sunburnt. And then: those coal-black eyes. Ah! me, she is pretty. + 