1892
Feb. 5
Concord, Massachusetts.
Ball's Hill.
Mass.
Concord. - Early morning clear. Remainder of day overcast
the sun shining dimly through thin clouds. Ther.
4[degrees] at sunrise ; about 36[degrees] at noon the snow thawing
a good deal. Very little wind.
  To Ball's Hill by sleigh at 10 A. M. taking
lunch and spending the day.
  On the road saw a flock of sixteen Crows and
a fine Red-tailed Hawk. The latter started from
the top of a living pine shaking down a shower
of fine snow as it took wing.
[margin]Crows - 
Buteo borealis.[/margin]
  Walked down to the Hill from Bensen's along
the back side of the pine ridge. The trees still
bore much snow and the young pines in the
glacial hollow were loaded with dazzling masses
presenting a beautiful appearance. Two Kinglets
and a Chickadee or two on this ridge.
[margin]Golden crests[/margin]
  Spent most of the forenoon trying to burn any
big brush heap but the snow which covered the top
melted as soon as the flames reached it and quickly
put out the fire. Jays screaming in my woods
& Tree Sparrows chirping in the swamp. Heard
Snow Buntings in the air but did not see them.
A Fox had crossed the eastern side of my lot
in the night. He made two kinds of tracks sometimes
putting a fore & hind foot on exactly the same
spot, sometimes a little apart, thus: [diagram]
or [diagram]. The longest stride I could
find was only twelve inches. The pad marks
measured 2 inches in length by 13/4 in. in width.
The single tracks were never exactly in line (thus
[diagram]) but always in two parallel lines.
[margin]Fox tracks[/margin]