279
Concord, Mass.
1898.
October 17
  Cloudless with brilliant sunlight & a moderate
N.wind.
  Spent the entire day on Ball's Hill. Saw very
few birds & nothing of any especial interest.
" [October] 18  
  Cloudy with E. wind & other unmistakable indications
of a gathering storm but with the sunset clear.
There was a hard frost last night and our pump
was frozen this morning.
  To the Barrett farm through the woods in the
morning and again in the afternoon by way of
the river and Davis's Hill. Saw a Hairy Woodpecker
and a flock of 13 Bluebirds in the old orchard, 
a Nuthatch and a flock of Chickadees in the
woods. As I was returning to the river just
before sunset I came upon a Partridge in a 
wild apple tree in an opening among some pines.
When I first saw him he was standing motionless
on a dead branch with his neck and body in
line the neck appearing as long as the body [illus]
I stopped instantly hoping that he had not 
discovered me. Presently he began to walk along the
branch spreading his tail & erecting and twitching his ruffs at 
every step. Walking along the branches and hopping from 
one to another he went directly through the main
body of the tree top (which was dense and bushy) &
after I had lost sight of him I heard him fly. He was
a very large & old cock bird. Probably he was building
[margin]Behavior of 
a Partridge
in apple tree [/margin]