Cambridge - Boston
Ther [Thermometer] Thursday, Aug. 30, 1917 [August 30, 1917] Wea [Weather]
Weather conditions much like those of
yesterday & not less oppressive especially in
Boston. But there was only one thunder
shower this afternoon & it lasted scarce
more than half an hour (5-5.30)
  Garden birds. Heard an Oriole & a
Downy Woodpecker. Saw 2 Swifts flying
low over Hubbard Park at 4 P.M.
Nothing else noted.
  Wrote for an hour after breakfast
& then went in town. Spent several
hours at our office seeing there Galloupe,
Darling & Miss Walker. Sold "rights"
on 70 shs. (shares) N.E. Tel. & Tel. @ 90 [cents]. They
brought $2.50 when first offered a week or
two ago. Bought three glass pitchers
& three flower vases for Concord, at
Jones Mc.Duffe & Strattons [Jones, McDuffee and Stratton] & a copy
of "Patience Worth" at Estes and Lauriat's.
Home by 4 P.M. Mr. Scudder
called soon after supper & stayed
upwards of an hour.
Cambridge.
Ther [Thermometer] Friday, Aug. 31, 1917 [August 31, 1917] Wea [Weather]
Perfect
Brilliantly clear & just agreeably cool.
Light dry westerly wind.
  Cicadas shrilling by day; Tree Crickets
in full chorus after night set in where
there must have been at least 25 or 30
of them fiddling ceaselessly in trees
& shrubbery close about our house.
I have not heard so many there for
very many years and never more,
perhaps. This must be because we have
done no spraying for two years past.
  Garden birds continue scarce with
total absence of more northern breeding
species. Walking through Jungle at 9 A.M.
I found there 2 Minotiltas (one chasing
the other on wing), 2 young [male] Orioles in
rich autumnal plumage (thrusting sharp
bills into tufts of leaves in tree top),
2 or 3 Robins (on ground in dense thicket)
a Goldfinch (heard calling). 6 Swifts
feeding rather high in air at 5.30 P.M.
  Spent forenoon in Museum, writing letters.
In afternoon had hair cut at Marks & walked
thence to Mus. Comp. Zool. [Museum of Comparative Zoology] to see Henshaw &
Bangs about birds ordered from Wayne to
where I have offered to advance $75. for them.

Visited Widener Library. Radio recruits swarming & their band playing, in street of dormitories
near Museum. Walked home at 5.30 E. [Elizabeth R. Simmons] read to C. & me this eve.

This was C's [Caroline Brewster] 71st birth day. She passed it in her Peace Chamber affected by weakness & dizzyness but cheerful & interested in everything & everybody as is he [her] want.