1892
June 22
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord.- Clear with floating cloud-masses; the forenoon
dead calm and very sultry, the afternoon cooler owing
to a rather strong W. wind.
[margin]A night at
Ball's Hill
with Mr. Fuller[/margin]
  Left the Buttricks at 11 a.m. with Rev. S. R. Fuller
taking both canoes. Paddled to Balls Hill where
we opened my cabin and spent most of the day
taking a walk over my grounds in the afternoon.
  After supper embarked in the canoes and paddled
and sailed down river nearly to Carlisle bridge. The
evening was delightful with peculiarly soft, fragrant
air wafted over the meadows from the woods to the
westward. Along the borders of these woods the
Wilson's Thrushes were singing in the twilight as
we passed, about one bird to every two or three
hundred yards. We must have heard a dozen or more
in all. There were also Oven-birds mounting above the
trees & singing and I heard two Wood Pewees. Robins
Song Sparrows, Yellow Warblers & Red wings singing freely.
Mosquitos[sic: Mosquitoes] were very numerous & annoying after dark
even in mid-river.
[margin]Evening paddle
on the river[/margin]
[margin]Wilson's Thrushes
singing in the
twilight[/margin]
  I put out a spoon bait as I sailed & caught two
large perch & a small pickerel all of which I
returned to the water.
  It was dark night when we landed on our return
& the Bull Frogs were holding high carnival in front
of my cabin. I listened for Rails or other marsh
birds but heard nothing. Three hours later (at precisely
11 P.M.), however, I happened to step out just before
going to bed & at once heard the squealing "crow"
of our mysterious "Kicker" (Porzana(?) jamaicensis(?))
issuing from the marsh on the opposite side of
[margin]The Kicker
(Porzana jamaicen-
sis ?)[/margin]