Concord, Mass.
1896.
April 16
[April 16, 1896]

  Cloudless but with a hazy atmosphere slightly obscuring the sun.
Dead calm most of the day but with a light E. [East] wind after
sunset. Ther. [thermometer] 82 [degrees] at noon. An oppressively hot day for the
season.
  Vegetation advanced with rapid strides to-day. Poplar & hazel
catkins expanded their minute blossoms and Hepatica was in
full bloom. All over the great Meadows the grass was green
by evening, thrusting its blades an inch or two above the
surface of the now shallow water.
  Within the last two days the pitch pines have turned
from yellowish-green to dark, clear greens so exactly like
that of the white pines that it is now impossible to
distinguish these two trees by the color of their foliage alone.
  Late this afternoon mosquitoes appeared in sufficient 
numbers to cause us some annoyance. Yet there are
still snow & ice in sheltered places. In Davis's swamp under
the pine ridge we saw this forenoon a field of ice covering
half an acre and 3 or 4 inches in thickness.
  We arose soon after daybreak and climbed to the top of
Ball's Hill just in time to see the sun rise under a narrow
belt of clouds which were tinged with beautiful colors. Red-wings [Red-winged Blackbird],
Song Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows, a Tree Sparrow, a Robin & a Grass 
Finch were singing within hearing, the Bittern pumping across
the meadows, and a Partridge drumming on the Blakemore ridge.
Crows cawed, Jay screamed and a few Barns [Barn Swallow] & White-bellied
Swallows twittered. A Flicker shouting & a Downy [Downy Woodpecker] drumming.
Presently we turned towards the south and beheld a
flock of sixteen Canada Geese coming directly towards
us at a height of not over 300 feet, flapping slowly as
if tired, and keeping dead silence until they were nearly