352
Concord, Massachusetts.
1897.
Dec. 9
  Clear and almost uncomfortably warm with literally no
wind during the entire day.
  Took the 9 A.M. train to Concord and launching the
open canoe paddled down to Ball's Hill where I spent 
the middle part of the day returning in time to get
the 4 P.M. train back to Cambridge.
  Along the river I saw a flock of eight Tree Sparrows, two
or three Blue Jays, an adult Red-tailed Hawk (at Holden's
Hill) and two Buffle-headed Ducks. The last were swimming
together at the head of the reach just above Ball's Hill.
They were two shy to let me get within gun shot.
When I was returning in the afternoon I came suddenly
on them close in shore just above the big, fallen maple
at the head of Beaver Dam Rapid. They doubled back passing
me within forty yards or less but having no gun I did
not molest them.
  In the Ball's Hill woods I saw nothing but a Downy,
a Partridge and two Gray Squirrels. There were but few
tracks in the soft melting snow which covered the ground
everywhere under the trees. It is now evident that
something has happened to my Rabbits of which there were
literally hundreds in these woods last winter. I saw
tracks of at least one Skunk and probably two or three
different Foxes.