1891.
Dec. 8
Concord, Massachusetts.
Ball's Hill.
Concord. - Cloudless and warm for the season with rather
strong N.W. wind. The ground froze hard last night.
  I went alone to Ball's Hill this morning, rowing 
down in my boat. Before starting I was engaged in 
breaking some ice which formed a belt six or eight
feet wide along the edge of the river in front of the
boat house when I saw beneath it a Painted Tortoise
clawing his way rather nimbly over the mud some
six or eight inches below the ice. Presently another
appeared and joined him. They moved about freely
even when I kept still and did not seem to be
in the least torpid.
[margin]Painted
Tortoises  out
under ice.[/margin]
  In the woods at Ball's Hill I saw three Kinglets
and several Crows, besides a flock of Goldfinches. The 
last appear to haunt the pitch pines, chiefly, at
this season.  While out with Boll's[?Bolles] on the 6th I 
saw a flock of over twenty among the pines on
Dakin's Hill. 
  On the afternoon of the 6th, while returning from
seeing Bolles on the cars at Lowell station, I
heard a Screech Owl wailing in the pines which shade
the avenue to the North Bridge. On pulling out my watch
I found the time to be exactly 4.20 when the bird began.
The sunset was at 4.12 according to the almanac
but although the sky was cloudy the light was
good. Indeed it seemed to be yet broad daylight.
The bird wailed steadily for two or three minutes. 
The MuskRats*[Muskrats] were out in force this evening. 
(Dec. 8) I must have seen nearly a dozen while
rowing up from Ball's Hill. Two young men
showed me 24 (on the 6th) which they had trapped
the previous night. They also had a fine Mink. 
[margin]Screech Owl
wailing[/margin]