1892
July 15
Concord, Massachusetts.
[margin]To Ball's Hill.[/margin]
  Although  90° was the highest reached by the thermometer
to-day the weather was harder to bear than on any
previous day of this remarkable "heated turn" for
the air was laden with moisture & hence was most
oppressive. A breeze from the S.W. gave some relief in
the afternoon.
  I spent the day in the house but at 5 P.M. started
for Ball's Hill sailing much of the way. A Savanna Spar-
row singing in Carr's meadow & a Gold-finch in full
song on the neighboring pasture. This is actually the
only Gold finch that I have heard singing since early
June. The bird is comparatively scarce in this region at
this season. Song Sparrows singing freely still.
[margin]Scarcity of
Goldfinches[/margin]

  Meadow Sweet and button bush just coming into flower.

  The broods of young Barn Swallows have not all broken
up or joined other broods for I saw no less than four (broods)
along the river this evening, the members of each sitting
close together on a willow or maple branch over the water. Perhaps
these are broods that have just come from the west.
I saw both parents feed the young of one brood.
[margin]Young
Barn Swallows[/margin]

  Only one Short-billed Marsh Wren singing at the
Beaver-dam Rapid. Its song this evening was quite
regularly chŭp, chŭp, chĭ-ĭ-ĭ-ĭ-ĭ-ĭ-ĭ the only
variation being in the ending which sometimes had
the r-r-r-r-r-r quality.
[margin]Short-billed
Marsh Wrens[/margin]

  The small Snapping Tortoises out in numbers this
afternoon.