1892.
July 19
(No 2)
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord.- a blueish-ashy color but no trace of any real
feathers elsewhere the back being still clothed with the
yellowish down which was also sparsely scattered over the
head and neck. Eyes open to-day. These young sit perfectly motion-
less.
  As I approached the Beaver Dam Rapid a little after
sunset I again heard the Red-wings singing in their
roost among the tall grass. It was a most perfect repro-
duction of the early spring concerts and I repeatedly
got the "Wild Goose" effect, described by Bolles. At least
a dozen males, all old birds, were thus engaged. As I
drew nearer I could hear a multitude of birds fluttering
and talking to one another among the reeds. Others
were continually arriving, usually in parties of from three
or four to seven or eight, never more than a dozen or
fifteen. They came from every direction and as a rule
flew at a great height (300 to 800 or even 1000 feet)
until they were directly above the roost when, setting
their wings, they shot down almost perpendicularly
[delete]and[/delete] with great swiftness, each bird acting independently
of its companions during its descent and many
describing [delete][?][/delete] most beautiful curves.while others simply
dropped as straight, nearly, as so many falling stones.
There was no preliminary circling to reconnoiter the
ground. When a yard or two above the grass the wings
were beaten forcibly to check the speed and the bird
disappeared into the grass.
[margin]Roost of√√[tick marks]
Red-wings[/margin]
  After the flight had nearly ceased I struck the water
with my paddle and instantly, with a perfect soar
of wings, at least six hundred birds rose into the
air. Only a few returned the greater number breaking