1892
July 23
[margin]River trip to North Billerica[/margin]
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord.. Still hotter, with cloudless sky and scarce
a breath of wind from sunrise to sunset.
  I spent the entire morning in the house writing. The
Warbling Vireo sang freely at intervals in the elms and
I also heard Song Sparrows, Red-eyes and occasionally a
Meadow Lark, while the Chippy with the split song was
rarely silent for more than a few minutes. Once a
Least Flycatcher burst out into a long series of chebees.
I have not heard the last in full song before since the 8th.
[margin]Warbling Vireo[/margin]
[margin]Meadow Lark[/margin]
[margin]Least Flycatcher[/margin]

  Spelman came from Cambridge at 3 P.M. and hastily
packing the canoes we started down river. The heat was
almost overpowering and the glare of the sun on the
calm water made my head swim. We heard few birds
except Song & Swamp Sparrows and a Short-billed Marsh
Wren or two. Near Hunt's Pond I saw a young Yellow-
billed Cuckoo sitting in a bush over the water.
  After landing at Ball's Hill to fill our jug with
fresh water we kept on past Davis's Hill—where the
stumps were still smoking—to Carlise Bridge and
beyond. The river is broad, straight, deep and very
clear of weeds for four or five miles below Ball's Hill.
A mile or less above Jug Island it narrows again and
is very beautiful with high shores heavily wooded
with fine old trees.
  A little before sunset we landed on the right bank
about half-a-mile below Jug Island and taking the
canoes out of the water to the upper edge of the narrow
strip of meadow prepared our beds and shelter tents
for the night and then sat down to eat supper.
The country behind us was open and largely under