1891
May 18
(no 3)
A hunt for Rails' eggs in Fresh Pond Swamps.
Mass.
Cambridge. - was unusually bulky being built up
from the surface of the meadow to a height of
at least eight inches. The bird ran around
among the flags near us keeping closely concealed
but whispering every few minutes.
  The cat-tails in this meadow were alive with
Long-billed Marsh Wrens. We must have heard
at least ten or a dozen males singing and
there were two or three more in neighboring
meadows. To our great surprise we found five
or six nests which appeared to be finished except
for the lining, the interior of each being plastered
with wet mud. Either the birds have been here
for some time or they have or they have worked with amazing
rapidity.
[margin]Marsh Wrens' nests nearly completed[/margin]
  No more nests were found by us save one Swamp
Sparrow's with three eggs which we did not 
molest.
[margin]Swamp Sparrow's nest[/margin]
  There were at least fifty Swallows, chiefly Bank
Swallows with a few Barns & White-bellies, flying
over Glacialis. Early this morning while driving
around Fresh Pond I saw fully two hundred
skimming over the water in sheltered nooks
each as the little mud hole behind Strawberry Hill.
The greater number were Barn Swallows with a 
good many Banks & a sprinkling of White-bellies.
I have not seen nearly so many Swallows in
spring in this region for twenty years or more. There
were a few Swifts also.
[margin]abundance of Barn & Bank Swallows[/margin]
  George met us with the carriage at Alewife Brook
at 7 P.M. A Rail was calling cutta in the thicket
between the Turnpike & the brick ice house as we left the place
[margin]Cutta note of Rail[/margin]