1891.
Dec. 28
Concord, Massachusetts.
Concord. - Clear, the early morning still, a moderate N.
wind through the day falling to dead calm at sunset.
Ther. 20[degrees] at sunrise. Yesterday similar with more wind.
  I spent last week in Cambridge returning here on
the night of the 26th. Yesterday I took a long
walk with Mr Buttrick going to and beyond Hubbard's
Hill to see a fine old yellow birch which grows by
a wall in a bushy pasture. It is not a tall tree
but it has a large [but?] and a wide lateral spread
of branches. There are a dozen or more small saplings
in the vicinity. 
  We saw one flock of four Chickadees (I seldom find
more together this season) a flock of 25 Goldfinches
and a Crow or two besides our Partridge. No Blue Jays.
They keep silent and close-hid such weather.
Mr Buttrick picked up a Quail's egg under a ground
juniper in a pasture. It was bleached & weather-worn
but not broken or even cracked. 

Dec. 28. To Ball's Hill by boat for the day. The river
opened during the wild rainy weather of last week
and there is no ice left save a little that formed last
night. Under a broad belt of ice 1/4 of an inch thick
in front of my boat house I again found Painted Turtles
swimming about. Saw at least three & caught one. How do
they breathe?
[margin]Turtles still
active[/margin]
  A Partridge, two Juncos and several Jays on Ball's Hill.
Also a few Tree Sparrows in my swamp. Chickadees on
Dakin's Hill, one whistling phi-be without solicitation on
my part. A few Crows flying about. Both Crows & Jays
numerous & noisy near the Buttrick's this morning.
Fresh Skunk tracks in the sand on Benson's hill.
[margin]Skunks still
out.[/margin]