1891
May 15
(no 2)
Evening in Fresh Pond Swamps.
Mass. 
Cambridge - . Crow Blackbirds. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo sang
over and there were many Robins, one singing.
   Crossing the Fitchbury R.R. I visited the Rail's nest
found on the 4th. On parting the grass which was
more than two feet tall I exposed the sitting bird
which was so puffed out in order to cover her nine
eggs that she looked as big as a quail. Her head was
raised, her long bill held horizontally. For a second
or two she did not move then with a spring she
took flight directly from the nest and alighted
in the neighboring thicket: As I was taking notes
relating to the nest I heard the pig call near  [?]
{?] but neither bird appeared. The eggs were
fresh and I took them with the nest. In the
top of the nearest tussock just nine feet from
the one which concealed the eggs I found another
nest quite as well finished as the inhabited one
but empty. I am sure it has been built since the
4th for I looked in every tussock on that date.
As it is common - in fact the rule - to find several
nests of this Rail near together but nine[?] more than
one in use I infer that the bird builds false
or "cock" nests like the Marsh Wren.
  Returning to the Fitchbury embankment I walked
up the tracks to Pont Pond then crossed to the
Central R.R. and watched the Coot pond for
some time. The Gallinules which Torry saw there 
on April 30 must have left or been killed as I
neither saw nor heard them this evening. A
Carolina Rail was calling er'e on the further side 
of the water and several Red-wings singing