1892 
May 29 
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord. - Clear and hazy with strong, warm - chilly
  S.W. wind.
    Frank M. Chapman came from New York last
  night and joined in this morning for a three day's
  visit to Concord. Soon after we readhed the Butterick's
  we started up river in my canoe paddling against
  a strong wind &  current. We went up the Assabet
  as far as the hemlocks, when we heard &[and] saw several
  Black-polls, a Wood Per[?], and a Savanna Sparrow
  (the last singing on the opposite side of the river), three
  kept on up the Sudbury River.

[margin]Trip
Up river with
F.M. Chapman[/margin]

    As we were passing Clam-shell Hill C. called my
  attention to a male Red-wing who was acting in
  a most singular manner. With tail and wings spread,
  the wings beating, or rather quivering, in a loose, nervous
  manner much as if their motion were caused by
  the wind rather than by any muscular effort, the
  bird advanced very slowly &[and][ very slowly, up the
  hill side uttering a continuous low chirping or chirping
  like that of a young bird. His motion was even and
  regular and was probably caused by the use of his
  feet although his body was so flattened on the
  smooth turf that it seemed impossible that the
  feet could be used at all. The effect was strikingly
  like that of some toy bird, drawn slowly along by
  a string. Presently we discovered a female Red-wing
  in a cluster of dry grass towards which the male
  was moving. On reaching her the male circled
  around her within a few inches continuing his
  remarkable gait. He then, as I thought, tried
  to copulate with her when she started off
[margin]
Peculiar behaviour of
Agalaises[/margin]