103
Concord, Mass.
1898.
May 20                    
  Morning clear and warm with fresh west wind.
  Spent two hours or more immediately after
breakfast rambling about in the woods on and
behind Ball's Hill. They were simply swarming with
birds but the only northern-feeding species noted
were a Wilson' s Black-cap, a Black-poll, a Water Thrush, a 
Canadian Warbler (one or two pairs found here) and
a Lincoln's Finch. All the others were species which
summer here but it hardly seems possible that
all could have been really our local birds. There
was a [female] Humming-bird and a Thrasher among them.
  I found the Lincoln's Finch in a thicket of 
alders and cornels surrounded by dense young white
pines. It was very tame & fearless allowing us to
approach within a few yards and I watched it for
fifteen or twenty minutes. It spent the whole of
the time on the ground rambling about and
probing among the fallen leaves which it tossed
about with its bill but did not once attempt
to remove by scratching with its feet. It was slower 
of movement and altogether much less alert and
animated in appearance than a Song Sparrow and
its gait was at all times a hopping one whereas
the Song Sparrow often walks. It had much less
buffy than usual and might have been easily
mistaken for a small, dark Song Sparrow by a 
superficial observer. It occasionally paused a few 
moments to bask in the sun in little openings
among the branches. I did not hear it utter any sound.