418 NOTES ON NEW ENGLAND BIRDS 



basket. It is like the sparkle on water, — a sound pro- 

 duced by friction on the crisped air. 



April 6, 1855. The banks of the river are alive with 

 song sparrows and tree sparrows. They now sing in 

 advance of vegetation, as the flowers will blossom, — 

 those slight tinkling, twittering sounds called the sing- 

 ing of birds ; they have come to enliven the bare twigs 

 before the buds show any signs of starting. 



May 3, 1855. Humphrey Buttrick, one of eight who 

 alone returned from Texas out of twenty-four, says he 

 can find woodcock's eggs ; now knows of several nests ; 

 has seen them setting with snow around them ; and 

 that Melvin has seen partridges' eggs some days ago. 

 He has seen crows building this year. Found in a hen- 

 hawk's nest once the legs of a cat. Has known of several 

 goshawks' nests (or what he calls some kind of eagle ; 

 Garfield called it the Cape eagle) ; one in a shrub oak, 

 with eggs.' Last year his dog caught seven black ducks 

 so far grown that he got sixty cents a pair for them ; 

 takes a pretty active dog to catch such. He frequently 

 finds or hears of them. Knew of a nest this year. Also 

 finds wood ducks' nests. Has very often seen partridges 

 drimi close to him. Has watched one for an hour. They 

 strike the body with their wings. He shot a white- 

 headed eagle from Carlisle Bridge. It fell in the water, 

 and his dog was glad to let it alone. He suggested that 

 my fish hawks found pouts in holes made by ice. 



May IJ, 1855. Waked up at 2.30 by the peep of 

 robins, which were aroused by a fire at the pail-factory 



^ [There are no authentic records of the nesting of the goshawk in 



Massachusetts.] 



