1886
May 16
Concord, Massachusetts.
  (The 14th and 15th were both cloudy and cold
with North-East wind. On both days there was a
brief space of sunshine at noon and in the 
early afternoon. The rain began falling on the 
evening of the 15th and later in the night it 
rained heavily and continuously. I spent both
days in the city and made no  observations of 
importance here. I am inclined to think from 
what I saw about our place in the early morning
that there was no considerable influx of emigrants
on either day)
  This morning up to 9 o'clock was cloudy with
steady rain. At about ten o'clock the rain ceased and 
soon afterwards the wind came from the N.W. and 
the sky cleared. The remainder of the day was fine 
but cool with a high wind.
  At 10 a.m. I started for a long drive with
Purdi. We went up through the Lime Kiln road to 
Carlile, thence westward nearly to Acton, and back
by the way of the "Parker lot" cross road.
  Birds were fairly numerous and in full song.
There has been a great increase in the number of 
Orioles since my last long drive, and we saw
them everywhere. Near the further end of the 
Lime Kiln road a fine adult Buteo borealis left his
perch, on a tall tree in an opening, and scaled through
the woods, showing his red tail as he turned and 
twisted to dodge the branches.
  In the afternoon we rowed down river to
Balls' Hill. The strong N.W. wind ruffled the placid
stream, and few birds were singing, except Bobalinks
of which we heard at least a dozen. Found the