311
Concord, Mass.
1898.
Dec. 8-10
  I returned to Concord on the afternoon of the 7th and
spent the following two days there at the Keyes'. On
the 8th I went to the Barrett farm where I saw
a Knight, a flock of eight Chickadees, a Downy Woodpecker,
five Tree Sparrows, five Crows, and a Partridge. The
day was sunny with a strong, cold N.W. wind.
The fields were bare in most places but in the
woods the ground was covered to a depth of from
four to twelve inches with heavily crusted snow.
  On the 9th I drove to Goose Pond to see about
some wood that had been left there and to
Angus' Mills to order some slabs. The weather was
clear and cold with a bitter N.W. wind. The only
birds noted were five Crows, which were flocking 
about in a field on the Moore farm.
  As I was passing the Concord jaol the sheriff came
out with a Red Screech Owl which he had found dead
only a few minutes before in one of the cells. One
of the neighbors told me that she had seen the bird
sitting at the window of the cell every day for a
week or more past. Craig (the sheriff) thought that
the Owl must have come down the chimney and
entered the cell through a hole leading into the flue
where a stove had formerly stood. He gave me the
bird which was somewhat emaciated & had apparently
died of starvation. Another Red Screech Owl was picked 
up dead in Monument Street, Concord, December 4th by
Charles Prescott. Will Bartlett showed me this bird
the following day. It had a broken wing but showed
no other signs of injury. It had a House Mouse in its
throat, the tail & hind feet of this animal protruding just
[margin]Screech Owl
in the 
Concord "lock up"[/margin]