Habits & notes of Wilsons snipe
Middlesex Co., Mass. [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1875. April 22 - 1875
April 21 [April 21, 1875] The sexual organs were very largely
developed, the testes of the [male] being as large
as [illustration]. and the ovaries of the female
well advanced, Thompson in Birds
of Ireland gives [delete]the[/delete] an instance
of finding the nest Apr. 9 [April 9]: I
have not the least idea that these
birds had ever been caged - everything
is against such a supposition, as
their plumage is perfect, and their
[delete]noticeable[/delete] excessive wildness would almost
preclude the possibility that they
had ever been confined. After this
streak of luck tramped all over
the farm without seeing anything
remarkable. Shot a few birds
a Poocetes, 3 Sp. monticola [Spizella monticola] and a
P. savanna [Passerculus savanna]. The migration of Juncos
and fox sparrows is now about at its height.
  April 22 [April 22, 1875] Clear and a lovely day, much warmer
than any we have had of late.
Off after breakfast intending to strike
up by the swamps and on to to
Belmont hill but a little episode
in the lower meadow altered my mind.
As I was walking along near the 
edge of the marsh I heard a [delete]rolling[/delete]
most remarkable note or song which
though strange, was yet strangely 
familiar to me, and after a pretty
strong effort of the memory I
at length remembered where last