1893
June 17
(No 2 ) 
Say brook Ferry, Conn.

birds (except Marsh Wrens) which the place harbored and                                                                                           
that the authorship of the cutta cry is at length definitely
and finally settled.

These Rails crossed our path times in the same place,
following each other in single file, our bird about two feet in
advance of the other. the leading bird peeped out the rushes
and surveyed the path carefully before it ventured out into the
open. Both birds walked across rather slowly & with apparent
nonchaleon . they kept along the coarse of [?] of water.


I took three sets of Marsh Wrens eggs & two nest this morning.                             
Each set contained five eggs and the eggs of two sets was somewhat
incubated. One nest was low down & well concealed with a layer [?]  false
nest in the tops of the flags a few yards? off.
In the afternoon we paid the Killdeer a visit. They were                                        
both in small bit of wet marsh beyond the plateau when
we saw them yesterday. They did not seem at all concerned
about or interested in our movements to-day but when we
approached the marsh they called a little. Once the male [?]
flew to meet us on the hill & circled about us but he soon
left us. Later when we were lying down among the bushes
the male(?) plover made a wide circling flight over the plateau 
moving his wings loosely & slowly & uttering incessantly a cry
which I have never heard before but which must have given
rise to the birds popular designation. This was a a shrill
kill-de-ah given with great rapidity & repeated a hundred
times or more in rapid succession . The bird hovered over a certain
spot for one instant & alighted.  Shortly afterwards two
Plovers ran & flew off together. We reached for the nest
but found nothing nor did the birds show any
concern at our presence. What is the meaning of all this?

[margin] Nest of Cis. palustris[/margin]
[margin] Killdeer Plover [/margin]