in the trees but they kept high up and were hard
to identify. I shot several Parulas on [?suspicion]
and then got a fine pair of Bachman's Warblers.
The [male] was sitting motionless rather low down with a
[?green] background of foliage behind against which
his yellow under parts and black [?] showed
distinctly. I had a long shot at a Swallow tail
Kite which came directly over me but as high
as the tops of the tallest trees. I fired and at first
thought I had him for he turned completely over
and then [?turned] beating the air incessantly with
his wings. He must have been shot through the 
head. He finally drifted off out of sight [?before]
the strong south wind.
  Late in the afternoon we cast off our moorings
and floated down stream a few miles making
fast to a [?] on the west bank about dusk. 
After supper a pair of Barred Owls came about us. 
Chapman hooted and they approached nearer
& nearer until finally they alighted directly over
us within fifteen feet. They hooted every few
minutes and several times went through their
caterwauling performances. I did not see them
while thus engaged but repeatedly saw one of 
them hoot by throwing the light of a jack
on him. He sat erect crouching close to his perch
and did not move perceptably while making the 
sound. One bird had a hoarser voice than
the other & regularly hooted in a lower key. 
This difference I afterwards found to be common
to all the pairs heard on the river. The birds to
night flapped audibly when they flew. The night
was cloudy and dark.