Concord, Mass.
1901.
Oct. 16
(No 2)
  When I reached the river this evening and started
out in the canoe to paddle up to Ball's Hill
twilight was falling. I could hear Swamp Sparrows
chipping far and near in every direction and
every now and then one of them would give
the full spring song. A Song Sparrow also sang
twice but more feebly and brokenly than the 
one I heard this morning.
  Then noise of my paddle disturbed a Fish Hawk
who gave his loud, mellow whistling call, evidently
very near me although I failed to get a sight
at him.
  Muskrats seem to be scarce this autumn. I
saw two last evening and one to-night swimming
across the river below Ball's Hill.
  On the night of the 14th when the wind
was roaring in the tree tops and rain falling in
torrents Gilbert and I heard a cry that was wholly 
new to us both. It began with a low, broken
wail or whine and ended with a howl much
like that of a dog. The creature, whatever it was,
was apparently on the hillside east of the cabin
and certainly not over thirty or forty yards off.
It is most unlikely that a dog would have been
in such a place at such a time (the hour was
about 10 P.M. & the night as dark as possible).
I suspect that it may have been a Coon.
Long tells me that he has heard Coons cry &
that their call resembles a Screech Owls. The
first part of the cry Gilbert & I heard was
not at all unlike a Screech Owl's wail.
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