Middlesex Co., Mass. [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
Dec. 29- 1874 [December 29, 1874]
1874.
Dec. 29 started into the woods. Hunted all
day and in company until noon, 
when R.N. [Robert Nesbitt] & myself became separated
from the others. Flushed altogether 
about 20 grouse and I bagged 1
the only bird killed by the party.
They were unusually wild and
as a rule gave us but poor chances
though some good shots were missed.
J. Nesbitt [John Nesbitt] & Carr bagged some 3 rabbits
and a gray squirrel. Our beat lay
through a very wild country
and one quite new to me,
abounding in large tracts of
heavy white pine timber and 
dense thickets of scrub or pitch pine.
Saw a few flocks of Aegiothus linaria
one Picus villosus, a pair of Colaptes &
a few blue jays. Reached home
by 6 P.M. Bag W.B. [William Brewster] Grouse 1.
  Dec. 30 [December 30, 1874]
Clear and cold ther [thermometer] [degree] falling steadily all
day. Wind rose early in the forenoon
and blew furiously in the P.M.
Rose at 5 A.M. and took the
6.15 to Concord junction where
I met Jim M. [James Melvin] and W. Buttrick [William Buttrick] by
appointment. George Linder
was to come up on the express half
an-hour later but as he did not
put in an appearance we took a
way train on the Nashua & Acton
and getting off at Robbins Mills
beat back to Concord by way of