Middlesex Co., Mass. [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1874
was so lucky as to get it with a
very quick snap shot. Shortly after
a bittern flew past me and I
killed him also. The scaipe of the 
snipe sounds much richer & deeper
when they are flying about after
dark than when they are flushed
in the day time. Saw Zon. albicollis [Zonotrichia albicollis].
  Oct. 3 [October 3, 1974] Clear cool and a fine day. Spent
the forenoon in the house feeling
rather under the weather in consequence
of a severe cold. At 3 P.M. J.C. Melvin
came out bringing dog & gun, & as I
was quite anxious to see his old Prince
hunt I decided to risk an addition
to my cold so started with him
for the meadows. We found only one
snipe on the lower meadows
but upon arriving at the Block
island ground we found a number
of boys & men banging away at the
birds which were quite numerous.
We must have seen twenty five in
all and as many as six flying
together. Fired 8 or 10 shots apiece without
bringing a feather to bag though we
killed a teal (N. Carolin [Nettion carolinensis] I think) which
fell across a ditch & was stolen by
some boys while we were going
round. All the snipe lay remarkably 
well & we had some good chances, in
one instance six rising separately from one
spot giving us time to change shells between the shots.