43
Concord, Mass.
1898.
April 5
  A dismal day with piercing N.E. wind and
thickly falling snow which loaded down the trees
and bushes and covered the leaf or grass-strewn
surfaces to a depth of several inches but wherever
the unfrozen ground was bare melted as fast
as it struck.
  There was a fine flock of Sparrows assembled
in front of the cabin this morning and most
of them spent the entire day there eating,
apparently, without cessation. This, I think, is
their usual habit when, during a snow-storm,
they are lucky enough to find an abundance
of food. During the fine weather of the past
week they have visited the seed bed only thrice
daily - at morning, noon, and a little before
sunset, there [delete]being[/delete] having been always and interval of two
or three hours in the forenoon and one of
equal length in the afternoon when the
seeds were wholly neglected.
  A pair of Robins, the resident pair of Downies,
and two Chickadees also spent most of the
day in front of the cabin and, a forlorn-
looking Phoebe appeared there in the afternoon
and watch with apparent envy the Sparrows
engaged at a feast in which he, poor fellow,
could not take part. The Robins did not, of
course, touch the seeds but they were able to
solace themselves with occasional earthworms
which they pulled from the wet, steaming
ground along the path.