Molothrus pecoris et Quis. purpureus [Quiscalus purpureus] et Sialia sialis
Middlesex, Co., Mass. [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1875 - March 29-1875 -
Mar 29 [March 29, 1875]  Clear warm and perfectly still. During the
past week we have had [delete]several[/delete] a preponderance
of warm sunny weather and the fields
are now about half bare again and the
roads drying up in places. Took a 
tramp over "the farm" this morning
with but indifferent success, shooting in
all 7 cedar birds, a Colaptes (flying overhead)
and a Certhia Am. [Certhia americana]. Heard four or five
bluebirds warbling, in the vicinity of the
cedar ridge: they are the first I have
seen though C.J.M. [C.J. Maynard] noted a [male] on the 26th
and large numbers on the succeeding day.
Colaptes are I think more numerous &
I heard one singing regularly for first time.
Head [Heard] also a flock of Curvirostra Am. [Curvirostra americana]
among some pines but was unable to get
a sight at them. They are undoubtedly 
working up from the S. [south] as I have not
seen any since Dec. '74 [December 1874]. Saw numbers
of Carpod. purpureus [Carpodacus purpureus] and think some
were new comers. The males sang several
times in that delicious undertone sometimes
heard at this season. Mel. melodia [Melospiza melodia] was
singing in many places but they are
by no means numerous as yet; I
may have heard six or seven altogether.
Saw Aegiothus linaria in immense flocks:
They were feeding among the apple trees
for the first time this year and
the males sang almost continually. While
waiting for the car I heard near by
the peculiar rattle of Molothrus pecoris & soon
espied the bird a solitary [male] sitting on an apple tree.
While at C.J.M's in Newtonville yesterday, we saw
a flock of 10 Quiscalus purpureus