15
Concord, Mass.
1898
March 17
(No 3)
  The Rabbits had scored the stems of the trees with
broad, deep furrows like the grooves made by a small
gouge but the trees barked by the Mice looked as
if they had been scraped with a rasp or coarse file[.]
  About one third of the White Maples along the 
flooded river banks are in full bloom and were
so one the day of my arrival. One of my
hepaticas had two blossoms partly open to-day.
The grass is green in many places and there
is no frost in the ground excepting on the 
north slopes of the hills or in dense woods.
The ice is almost wholly gone save in the
wooded swamps. Altogether the season is unusually
far advanced for this date.
  Where are the Fox Sparrows? I visited all
their favorite haunts in this locality to-day
without seeing a bird.
  Squirrels appear to be very scarce. Thus far
I have seen only one, a large Gray, but
Gilbert saw a Chipmunk on the 14th in
the wooded road leading to Bensen's from
the old schoolhouse and Pat says that there 
are two Grays & a Red living near the cabin.
  The wind lasted well into the night and blew
so strongly in the afternoon that I did not
attempt to get back to Concord but spent
the night at the cabin.