1886
Sept.29
Concord, Massachusetts.
  A cloudy morning clearing at noon. Afternoon
warm, still and perfect in every way.
  H. W. Henshaw arrived about noon shortly
after dinner we started down river. As we
passed the Y-tree an Osprey settled on it for an 
instant and then flew off. He saw nothing
else before reaching Holt's neck where we landed
to beat the Great Meadow.
  Before we had gone far I flushed a Snipe
and killed it. It was the only one we could
find, a fact easily accounted for by the presence
of two other spontaneous who were just leaving 
the meadow as we entered it.
  Titlarks were as numerous as usual and I 
shot three, all flying. The flock of Meadow Larks
also cause in to roost at sunset and H. shot
one. 
  On our return up river I killed a King fisher
and saw another. We also heard a Trail
calling near the Buttrick's Landing.
  The meadow was literally covered with 
spider webs which glistened in the sun like
hoar-frost. They were long, exceedingly delicate
strands stretched from one grass stalk to the 
next. I took them to be the floats of three 
balloon spider.
  When the sun came out about noon a 
Solitary vireo began singing in the ash trees
in front of the Manse and continued almost
without cessation for at least fifteen minutes.