1893, 
April 11                                    
Concord, Mass.
     A perfect early spring day, the sky cloudless and
tender blue, the water deep blue, a strong, steady 
but not in the least chilly east wind.
    A Meadow Lark was whistling at short intervals 
in the field across the road and Robins, Bluebirds
& Song Sparrows singing, while I was dressing.
    At 9 A.M. I started down river I started down river in the Stella Maris
canoe. On the way I saw a flock of 8 Black Ducks
flying high on the Damsdale woods, at least a 
dozen Painted Tortoises (the first this season) on 
floating logs & boards, and a large Musk Rat whose 
wet fur showed that he had only just climbed 
out of the water to the fork of the Button Bush in 
which he was sitting enjoying the warm rays of
this June. Poor fellow! he did not pay the usual
penalty for his sun bath for I did not hear a
gun fired on the river all day.
[margin]First Painted 
Tortoises[margin]
    After several tacks under sail across the meadow
I watched Ball's Hill when I landed to start my
cooking. There were only Fox Sparrows & a Song
Sparrow on the path so most of the Sparrows which
were here yesterday must have left last night.
     I next sailed to Davis's Hill where a Pine Warbler
singing in the tops of the pines was the 
only bird that I saw or heard.