1892
April 20
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord. - Clear and very warm through the middle
of the day although it froze hard last night (ther 26[degrees]).
Drove to Rhodora pool on the Estabrook road at 9.30
A.M. and spent an hour or more digging some
of the Rhodora bushes to take to Ball's Hill. A
Solitary Vireo was singing by spells in the woods
near the pool. Sent George to Ball's Hill and struck
through the woods on foot to a wood road north
of Punkatassett Hill where I noticed some young
Black Birches last autumn. Dug up about thirty.
Several Golden-crests and two Creepers (Certhia)
were in the pines near me.
  Returned to the Buttrick's by the shortest route
across the fields carrying the rather heavy bundle of 
birches on my back. As I came out of the bushes
on the edge of Pratt's nursery I saw a Fox standing
on the crest of a knoll in the open field not 100 yds.
off, although it was mid-day and the sun shining
clear & hot. The Fox was a very large one. He looked
faded and worn as to fur and appeared to be
of a bleached yellowish color, tail & all. He saw me
at once, pricked his ears and looked at me steadily,
standing quite still with brush lowered. I squeaked
and he started directly towards me at a quick skulking
trot. When he dipped out of sight in a hollow I
squatted but he did not come out in sight
again on my side of the hollow & the next instant
I caught sight of him 200 yards or more to the
right running at full speed, with great elastic
bounds, for the woods. No [?] with a bunch of
fire crackers at his tail could have fled more
[margin]Fox abroad
at noonday[/margin]