1886                                                         
Oct. 12
Lake Umbagog, Maine
  Left Boston yesterday forenoon with Mr. J.C. Melvin and
reached Bethel late in the afternoon. Started this morning about
8 o'clock and drove to the Lake, reaching the Lake House at 2
o'clock in the afternoon. Melvin walked through the notch and
shot a Grouse in a tree.
  The day was warm and still and clear up to 10 o'clock,
after which it was cloudy. It rained late in the afternoon and
evening. Small birds were exceedingly numerous. Robins were in
large flocks in the fields and Juncos and White-throats were
along the fence rows and wood edges. I saw one Hylotonus at
Brooks's and two Picus villosus by the roadside.
Oct. 13
    A perfect October day, clear and still; the Lake perfectly
  unruffled.
  We were off down river at 8.30 o'clock. We landed at the
third bend and beat the marsh on the south side, flushing
four Snipe. I shot one, but could not find it; and Melvin missed
several shots, getting nothing. Off the Stone farm in the Lake
we paddled to eight Sheldrake. Shot down two and wounded two
others, one of which I afterwards got. They were M. serrator.
[margin] Merganser[/margin]
[margin]Serrator[/margin]
  Next out past B Point. The Lake was alive with birds. A-
bout eighty Surf Ducks were floating in a long line off Great Is-
land, and a flock of ten Greater Scaups was near them. Two
smaller flocks of undertermined Ducks were not far off, and a Bon-
aparte Gull was flying about chased persistently by a Jager.
[margin] Lake alive 
with water fowl.[/margin]
[margin]A Jaeger seen.[/margin]
  We paddled first to the Coots. They flew at about 100 yards
and after circling alighted again. Three Velvet Scoters left
them and alighted with Scaup Ducks. We next paddled to them
getting within about 50 yards. Melvin shot one as they rose. I
shot both barrells and one of the Velvet Scoters dropped. After
this we chased these Ducks for some time, getting several very
long shots, but killing nothing. I shot a single Sheldrake (M
serrator) as it came flying past down the Lake.
[Margin] White-winged 
Scoters[/margin]
  Saw two Shrikes flying together due south over the woods,
making a jarring or vibrating sound. I shot a single one on the
Lake shore. Heard Snow Runting's twice during the day
[Margin]Northern Shrikes[/margin]
  The leaves are nearly all down, and in most places the woods
are perfectly bard: but there is still bright foliage in spots.
At Bethel the hill-slides were gorgeous with gold and crimson.
[Margin] Foliage 
nearly all 
gone.[/margin]
Oct. 14
  A chilly cloudy day with a high south-east wind. We start-
ed at the usual time and beat closely for Snipe. About the float-
ing island we started [startled] three and shot two, Melvin one and I the
other. We crossed the river and shot two more, each of us one.