1902.
May 8
(No 2)
that I had at length succeeded in stealing on
a Massachusetts Partridge unawares and that I should
presently see him drum. But after sitting perfectly
motionless for a minute or two with his head turned
away from me he suddenly straightened himself up, gave
his tail a sharp upward flit and jumped down
on the further side of the wall. Crafty bird! He
was no doubt watching me keenly from the very first
moment that I got sight of him.
  The wild apple tree in front of the barn at the farm
which the Partridges budded so persistently (every night &
morning for a week or more) last March was in full
bloom today and I have never seen a tree more
crowded with blossoms. This confirms what I have
long believed viz. that Partridges never injure either
the trees or their crops of fruit despite the popular
impression (among the farmers especially) to the contrary.
It is certainly a trifle difficult to understand why
they do not do so for on the morning when I
watched the nine birds actively engaged in this
particular tree it seemed as if they could not be
leaving many buds of any kind on the branches which
they visited.
  Two Bitterns were pumping tonight on Great Meadow.
I find that I was in error in stating in my
article in the April number of "Bird Box" that
the third syllable of the Bittern's pumping carries 
to the greatest distance. It is really the second
although when the bird is near at hand this
note does not sound so loud as either of the
other two.
67