1891
May 21
Afternoon in Fresh Pond swamps.
Mass.
Cambridge. - A smoky day, the sun shining dimly at 
times, at others wholly obscured.  A sprinkle of rain
now and then. Warm or rather sultry despite a
strong S.W. wind.
  W. A. Jeffries came out at 3 P.M. and went with
me to the swamps to search for Rails' nests. We 
were driven to Alewife Brook and began our beat
in the little bush-grown meadow between the turnpike
and the brick ice house where I heard a "cutta"
calling steadily on the evening of the 18th. The
bush-grown portions proved too dry for any kind
of Rail, in fact the ground was absolutely dry
in most places and we accordingly searched the
narrow strip of meadow between the little rectangular
pond and the Tudor place. There was plenty of water
here and the bird heard on the 18th was doubtless
singing in this meadow. Indeed I suspected it at 
the time but unfortunately did not take pains
to "line" the sound as I might easily have
done. I dwell on these points because the only
nest which we could find in this meadow was
that of a Carolina Rail! This fact adds another
link to chain of evidence going to show that
the cutta cry is made by this bird for I have
heard no other Rail notes there either last year
or this. I listened this evening at 7 o'clock
but heard nothing whatever. The nest contained
six eggs on which the bird was sitting and
which we did not molest. Accordingly there is
certainly a pair of Carolina Rails breeding there
Of course I have no proof that there is not some