Concord. Mass.
1896
October 31
(No 3)
for a moment for I had only just time to tell Bartlett
what it was when it started again and made off over
the rise heading at first for the Bedford shore but finally
turning to the right and disappearing among the pines on
Davis's Hill. Feeling nearly sure that it would join the
little mixed flock which we had left there half an hour
before we hurried back. Our birds were still busily at work
among the fallen leaves but although we followed them about
for a long time and repeatedly passed them in review under
our glasses we failed to discern the hudsonius among
them. I fancy that he kept straight on through or past
them as, indeed, he must have done through or near many
a similar flock since leaving his home in the north.
His course during the short time we had him in sight was
due south and he was probably actually migrating
at this time.
  We started up river a little after sunset. The wind had
entirely died away and the calm water was disturbed
only by the silvery wakes of the musk rats which were
out in great force. The piping of Titlarks flying over the
meadows and the whispered calls or sotto voce singing of the
Tree Sparrows in the thickets along the edge of the river were
the only bird voices. As we were paddling slowly up the reach
past Barrett's Bar looking sharply in the leafless trees for a
possible Screech Owl I discovered a small, short-tailed, plump
looking [delete]object[/delete] bird sitting crouched on the branch of a young oak
over the rock where I shot the Prothonotary. Landing I walked
nearly beneath it when to my great surprise I found that it was
a Quail. The next moment it and another which I had not seen
started from the tree & whirred off over the open fields. It was nearly
dark at the time & both birds must have gone to roost for
the night in this unusual place.