1889
June 22
Concord, Mass.
Early morning cloudy & sultry with occasional light showers.
Sun out by 10.30 & remainder of day clear with strong,
steady and very refreshing S. W. wind.
  To Concord by 9 A. M. train Faxon joining me at 
Waverly. I had sent my man George on by an earlier
train to get "Don" and he met us with the dog at
Lincoln. Upon reaching Concord we hired Nealey's
boat which is kept at the new granite bridge from
which we made our start.
  On reaching the meadow above the Fitchburg R. R.
bridge we put on our wading boots and started
in with the dog. The meadow proved an easy one
to search for there was little mud or water and but
few holes. Most of the ground was covered with wiry
rather short grass but a bed of canary grass taller
than my head extended along the course of a
brook for 100 yds. or more. We trampled this
grass down and the dog nosed into every nook &
corner of it. Then I hunted him closely over the
meadow back and forth. He pointed a nest filled
with young Red-wings and rooted out numerous
Sparrows, Bobolinks etc. but not a trace of our
mysterious singer could wither he nor we find. After
spending fully three hours in the search and going
over the ground with the utmost care we left it 
in disgust and no wiser than when we entered
it. If the kik-kik-kik is a bird, which I begin
to doubt, he is a strangely elusive one.
  A Bittern came into this meadow about noon
evidently to feed. After alighting we saw him make
several short flights from place to place. We