1887
Dec. 14
Belmont, Mass.
Clear, still, and for the season very warm.
  Tempted by the promise of a rarely beautiful day
for the season I started for Belmont this morning at
about 10.30. Driving up Prospect St. I kept on to
the top of Arlington Heights and there took the 
old road that comes out above the Cotton Farm. About
half-way through this road I saw a Crow and a fine
adult Red-shouldered Hawk sitting near together in the
top of a small elm directly over the road. The Crow
flew before we got within range but the Hawk allowed 
us to drive under and past him without apparently
even noticing us. Slipping in a charge of #8 I gave
the reins to George after stopping the horse and taking
deliberate aim brought down the Hawk. As he fell he
uttered a low, rapid chirping precisely like that used 
by an Accipiter under similar conditions. 
  Leaving George to drive the horse home I started across
country from this point for the Prospect St. region. 
Having "Don" with me I beat all the [?] on the 
way but started nothing save one Grouse which was as
"wild as a Hawk". For the first hour, indeed, I saw
nothing at all besides this Grouse but coming out on
the Prospect St. endow near the cold spring I started 
another Red-shouldered Hawk which [?] off over
the birches and after circling a few times alighted in
a distant oak. 
  After lunching on the sunny side of a stone-wall [delete]I[/delete]
overlooking the meadow just mentioned I next 
visited the extensive woods of pitch pine and red cedar
bordering the road. In them I found only one bird, 
a Certhia which I killed. They are cutting down some
of the finest cedars in these woods, at least on the