1892
March 29
(No 2)
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord. - short, round ears just showed above the
fur. This Mink was of small size and peculiar
coloring – a faded yellowish-brown about like that
of an old Sable muff. In no light did he look
black or even dark brown.
  Late in the afternoon I walked to the
Damsdale and back through Derby's lane where,
to my surprise, the tracks of my snow-shoes made
on the afternoon of the last heavy snow were still
quite distinct in the path, so little has the
snow melted under the shade of the hemlocks.
I saw many Song Sparrows and the first Fox Sparrows
– two of them, each in company with two or three
Song Sparrow, both silent. Robins were scattered
about in the orchards calling but none sang.
Meadow Larks flying about over the bare, brown
fields singing & calling. Bluebirds were numerous
(for them) and I saw the first female – with
her mate of course. It is strange there are no
Juncos nor Tree Sparrows here now. I suppose
our winter birds have gone and the migrants
have not yet come.
[margin]Damsdale[/margin]
[margin]First Fox Sparrows[/margin]
[margin]Absence of
Juncos &
Tree Sparrows[/margin]
  The country looked very spring-like this
morning. The stems of the willows and [?]
are getting deeper or rather brighter colored every
day. A poplar (P. grandidentata) was covered with
pussies the downy white exposed ends projecting
from thin sheaths (?) an inch or more.
[margin]Advance of the
season[/margin]