1892
March 10
(no 3)
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord. - From a belt of alders on the N.E. side
of my maple swamp I started a pair of Ruffed
Grouse. The [female], a small bird with a very rufous
tail, flew first, the [male], a large gray-tailed
individual following her closely. The snow everywhere
in and about this swamp is covered with their
tracks. They evidently follow the lines of bushes as
a rule but in one place the tracks crossed a
wide opening the bird showing by the length of
its stride that it felt the need of haste in
crossing so exposed a place.
[margin]Pair of
Ruffed Grouse
together[/margin]
  I burned the large brush - heap to-day &
watched it to see what would come out.
Nothing appeared but a Field Mouse which
to my surprise seemed very little alarmed and
clung to the slight shelter afforded by the
outer fringe of brush until I left the spot.
One of these mice inhabits the wood pile at
my cabin and has become so tame that it
will almost eat from my hand. To-day I
threw it several pieces of cake which it ate
fearlessly while three or four of us were standing
in a circle about it within three or four feet.
Its eyes look precisely like black beads & have
scarcely more expression. In form & motions
 - especially the strongly arched back - it reminds me
of a Musk-rat.
[margin]Field Mice[/margin]
  On my way up river in the evening I
saw a Musk Rat sitting on the ice eating a
large whitish root. I also started three Black
Ducks from the mouth of Holden's Brook.
[margin]Musk-rat.[/margin]