Middlesex Co., Mass. [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1875 March 16 - 1875 [March 16, 1875]
Mch. 16 The weather for the past two weeks
has been most disagreeable. Chill
Easterly rain storms succeeded by
fog and slush with but an occasional
sunny day. The ther. [thermometer] has however
been about the freezing point nearly all
the time and the ground is
now bare in many places. The last
sleighs were seen out on the 13th.
On that day I saw four Piniciolas
in our lindens and on the 15th a single
bird probably the last for this season.
On the 14th (Sunday) song sparrows
(at least two individuals) were singing
in our garden and in the afternoon
I heard another chanting regularly
in Mc.Donalds opposite Mt. Auburn [Mount Auburn Cemetery].
I am not sure that these were arrivals
indeed rather opine that they were
resident birds but they were actually
singing and not practising. Have seen 
the cedar birds but once since last
noted - in our yard where I noticed
a small flock, sitting on an elm
overhanging Sparks St. This P.M.
though the weather was dark & lowering
I took my gun and struck up to
the farm when I met several "nipper"
ornithologists with single barrel guns
and small sized collecting baskets, whose
enthusiastic boy talk and simple
outfit reminded me both sadly and
forcibly of happy days long past 
and firm friends now widely
scattered or in at least one instance