20
Concord, Mass.
1898.
March 18
(No 5)
  I left the cabin for Concord before 4 P.M.
and paddling slowly followed the shore line across
Barrett's meadow and around behind Holden's Hill.
The wind had fallen to a gentle breeze and the
air was soft and warm reminding me of that of
an afternoon in early October. Another and most
unexpected reminder of autumn was the autumn voice of
Hylas [sic] pickeringii the slow, dry, faltering call not in
the least like the clear, incisive, bell-like spring
peeping and coming, as I satisfied myself beyond
all possibility of doubt, not from the water's edge
but from the dry woods well up on the sides
of Holden's Hill. I heard this autumn call a 
dozen times or more and at at least two
different places in these woods. As I have not
yet heard the spring peeping I am inclined 
to believe that at least some of these Hylas
spend the winter on high ground and that
when awakened by the first warm days they
give the autumn call before they go into the
water to peep. Such an occurance must be
uncommon, however, for it has never before come
within my experience. (Pat afterwards told me that
Hylas were peeping merrily to-night in the swamps near Bensen's.)
  As I was passing around the back end of
Holden's Hill I started three Fox Sparrows from
the bushes at the edge of the water.
  All the way up the river Red-wings and
Song Sparrows were scattered about singing freely