Concord, Mass.
1896
April 18
[April 18, 1896]

  Clear and dead calm most of the afternoon but with a
strong N.W. [Northwest] wind up to nearly noon. The afternoon very hot
& sultry the thermometer rising to 82 [degrees].
  Purdie called at the Keyes' soon after breakfast having 
agreed to spend two days with me at Ball's Hill whither
he drove after a brief talk leaving me to follow later
by river. Starting at about 11 A.M. I sailed down
making very quick time for the breeze was strong &
steady.
  Will Bartlett and a young friend of his appeared
at the cabin at 4 P.M. and we all took a walk
together to the Mason field. Birds were either very 
scarce or remarkably silent. Perhaps they, like
ourselves, were oppressed by the heat. It was as sultry
as an August afternoon. We saw nothing of much
interest save a Hairy Woodpecker and five or six
Partridges.
  In the early evening Purdie & I walked to Bensen's
landing where we sat for an hour or more talking
& listening. When it was nearly dark a Snipe
began drumming over the middle of Great Meadow
treating us to six or eight repetitions of his weird
music. There were two Bitterns, one in the old 
place and the other nearly opposite the cabin in
a line with the West Bedford station. The last, a new
comer evidently, made a sharp, "stake driving" sound,
due no doubt to the rise of land behind his position
but in curious contrast to the deep, watery "plum-
pudden" of the other bird.