Middlesex Co., Mass. [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1875
Feb. 26 [February 26, 1875] having been frozen during the recent
cold period. In P.M. mounted my
Condylura [Condylura cristata] and was much interested
in dissecting him. The eyes were
exceedingly minute, not larger than [illustration]
and were simply attached to the
inside of the skin and lying on a 
layer of muscle without the slightest
apparent socket and when the skin
was turned over the skull coming
off with it. The ears (internally) were
very perfectly developed. The body
was all cased in fat and the swollen
rotundity of the tail was due entirely
to a large mass of substance which
[delete]was attached to[delete] surrounded the caudal
vertebrae. Sex; [male]. Saw a single
pair of Carpodacus purpureus but no
Pinicolas : the last of that species
noted were observed on the 22nd inst. [February 22, 1875]
  March 2 [March 2, 1975] Cloudy and rather warm. Had a heavy
snow storm yesterday about ten
inches falling and ending in rain
and sleet which crusted over the surface
so firmly that I much fear the quail
have had to suffer. Took a turn up
on the farm this morning after
breakfast. Among the cedars found
the largest flock of purple finches
that I have seen this winter at least
80 individual. I think they must
have worked up to us from the S. [south]
Among them were two Pine grosbeaks