1886 
May 26
  Clear early in the day. Cloudy all the afternoon.
Cold with blustering N.W. wind and occasional light showers.
  Spent the morning on the Lime Kiln road going over
my usual ground. The wind fairly howled through the
woods, tossing the tree tops about and drowning all other
sounds. It was the poorest day imaginable for birds
and I saw few and heard still fewer. Only the Red
Eyed Vireos sang with any degree of regularity.
  I had fairly good success with nests, taking 
two sets (3 & 5 eggs of the Purple Finch, one set (4. eggs)
of a Brown Thrasher and one set of 4 eggs of the Cat 
Bird. I also found another Thrasher's nest with three 
eggs and a Chestnut sided Warbler's nest, finished but Empty.
  Passing through a birch run I heard a loud, mellow
whistle, repeated three or four times. At first I took it
to be a Chats'; then it was repeated in a different key
and shortly afterwards changed again, reminding me 
of a Rail's cry but still different. I was completely
puzzled and still more surprised upon cautiously ap-
proaching the spot and peeping over an old wall to 
discover on the other side a hen Ruffed Grouse standing
erect and evidently suspicious of danger. She saw
me instantly and lowering her head, sneaked off
whining exactly like a dog and occasionally making
a low growling sound. I went to the spot where she
had stood, but could not find her young; although
I shortly afterwards heard their peeping.
  The widowed [female] Hairy was industriously feeding
 her young this morning and they were making a 
great racket inside the hole. The flying squirrel
had removed the young and the nest was empty.
  I heard only one emigrant to-day a Canada