Middlesex Co. Mass. [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1875
May 17 [May 17, 1875] Clear with cold N. [north] wind. Rose at 6 and
was driven up to the further end of
Prospect St. by Charles. Walked from there
up through the willows then down along 
the edge of Rock meadow to the upper mill
pond where I crossed over to Waverley woods
and was taken up by Charles again at 12.
reaching the house by 12.30. Took out my 
Stevens pistol (a new invention) for the first
time and killed 14 birds in 26 shots. The
best were Vireo Nov. [Vireo noveboracensis] 3, D. discolor [Dendroica discolor [male] & [female];
Trochilus colubris [male]; Totanus solitarius 1;
Seiurus Nov [Seiurus noveboracensis] 1; and Hydemelis Ludovic. [Hydemeles ludoviciana]
[male]. Heard [delete]Turdus Swainsonii[/delete] T. Swainsonii [Turdus swainsonii]
singing in full blast at two different
point [points] and on the latter occasion near me.
Found a nest of Corvus Am. [Corvus americanus] in a wild 
apple tree in an old pasture. It was
about 15 ft. [feet] [delete]high[/delete] above the ground and
and contained 3 eggs deserted and one of them
pierced by the bill of some bird. Under
the tree the turf was fairly covered with
sticks of various sizes which the birds had
dropped while building. Saw three solitary
tatlers. Shot the one I got with a charge
of No. 10 in the pistol, at about 20 yds [yards].
Heard a [male] Curvirostra Am. [Curvirostra americana] singing in a
practising strain in a tall yellow pine and
shot him with the pistol but he lodged so
high up that I could not get down.
His song was evidently unfinished & like
whit, whit, whit, whit, wit; tu-tu-tu-tu-
tu; whit, whit. Saw two [male] male wood thrushes
fighting over a [female] and while tumbling about in
the leaves they sang almost beautifully though