An evening in the swamps.
1891 
April 18
Mass. 
Cambridge. - Next to the 14th the warmest day of the 
month thus far, the ther. 72[degrees] at noon. Clear all day 
with moist S.W. wind. Clouds gathering in the N.W. 
at sunset bringing a moderately sharp thunder storm
at about 8 P. M. 
  To Hill's Crossing by buggy at 6 P. M. sending the 
horse back to the stable and returning by 7.20 
train. Found the swamps wonderfully changed 
since my last visit (on the 11th) the meadows 
being now everywhere nearly as uniformly and 
vividly green as our city lawns and the grass 
in places several inches high. along the railroad 
embankment Equisetum had shot up in places 
to a height of five or six inches. 
  I walked down the tracks to Buck Island 
meadow where I sat down to listen for Snipe. 
robins, Song and Swamp Sparrows (the latter in 
great numbers), Red-wings, and a Savanna Sparrow 
made up the bird chorus that closed the day, but
their voices were nearly drowned out by [?] of the 
Batrachians which were out in great force. Hylas 
and toads were most numerously represented but there 
were many Leopard Frogs also. The combined din 
which they made was simply deafening. There must 
have been at least 1000 (and I think ten times 
that number) of Hylas within hearing, all singing 
at the top of their voices. 
  I heard two Snipe rise from the marshes and 
fly about low down [?] but neither ascended 
and if there was an aerial humming during 
any [?] it was drowned out by the clamor of