the chain of ponds near the road and in the
further one found a Scaup (F. affinus [female]). My boy
flushed her and I lying in wait on the neck
between this pond & the next, dropped her as
she was crossing it.
  I then turned my attention to Snipe and
quickly shot five without a miss, one bird going
off wild. I also shot two Meadow Larks flying, a
House Wren and a Bachman's Finch.
  Our next stop was at a pond on the left
of the road. In it were several Grebes, a Fulica
and a pair of Ring-necked Ducks. the latter were
very tame and I waded out to within 30 
y[ar]ds of them. Getting both together I fired but
somehow undershot them wounding the [female] so
that she could not fly, however. She dove twice &
got into some reeds where I lost her. I missed
two easy shots at Snipe here starting six in all.
Most of them very shy rising 100 y[ar]ds ahead.
  From here we drove to the pond when I shot
my first Grebe (on the 14th). In it 12 found to-day
three pairs of Grebes, very noisy and very tame.
I missed three shots at them, one at a pair copulating.
Then i killed four in succession. Most of the time
that I was pursuing them about it was raining
so hard that I could only see with greatest difficulty.
Perhaps the Grebes were similarly blinded. The
water came down in a perfect flood and as the
storm showed no signs of abating I finally
started for town getting pretty wet during the
drive. Shot three Grackles at this pond. I
think they are aglaeus. Started only one Snipe here.