Middlesex Co., Mass. [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
Nov. 13- 1874
Nov. 13 [November 13, 1974] Clear a [and] very cold. Ther. [thermometer] [Thermometer] 20 [degrees] at sunrise
The past three days have been most
sad ones to us. Mother died at
20 minutes before 1 on Tuesday
morning and we accompanied 
her remains to the grave yesterday
afternoon. Seeking rest and consolation
where I knew most surely I
could find it - in Nature - I
started off with my gun and dogs
immediately after breakfast this morning. While
driving up Wellington hill I spied
a bevy of quail basking in the sun
in a little sheltered nook by the
roadside and quickly tying my
horse I followed them up and
in the course of the forenoon bagged
5. Shot behaved very handsomely
and made some staunch points.
Singularly enough when they
rose the first time about half
the bevy lit in an open mowing
field, while a most excellent cover
lay on both side of them. With
the exception of one bird I killed
all that I could find here for they
lay very close though they
apparently entirely witheld [withheld] all
scent. Shot also a shrike which
flew over me and heard some 
Curvirostra Am. [Curvirostra americana] Saw numbers 
of Chry. tristis [Chrysomitris tristis], Pas. iliaca [Passerella iliaca] and
a few Mel. melodia [Melospiza melodia]. Reached the
house by 1.30 P.M. 
Total bag Quail 5.