Middlesex Co., Mass. [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1875
May 27 [May 27, 1875] point I shot 6 birds during the forenoon
1 Hel. chrysoptera [Helminthophila chrysoptera] [male], 2 [male] H. Ludoviciana [Hydemeles ludoviciana]
1 [male] Pyranga rubra, do [1 male] Cy. cyanea [Cyanospiza cyanea], do [1 male] Chordeiles
popetue. The latter I happened to espy
sitting perfectly still along the topmost (dead)
branch of an apple tree in an orchard.
It was nearly noon at the time and the 
rays of the sun very powerful and getting
up nearly under the bird I could see 
that its eyes were tightly closed. Firing
[delete]proved on dissection[/delete] at it I brought 
it to the ground wing broken and
upon presenting my hand in front
of it, it opened its mouth to the widest
and uttered a singular murmuring
rattle but without attempting any other
defense. Heard a grouse drum and 
saw a [male] My. Canadensis [Myiodioctes canadensis] as well as a
few D. striata [Dendroica striata]; all the other migrants
have disappeared. Found 3 nests 
of D. Penn [Dendroica pensylvanica] building. Returned in time
for dinner. In P.M. walked up to the
swamps and searched the "Brickyard" piece
very carefully for rails nests but did 
not succeed in finding any and saw
but a single rail, a R. Virginianus [Rallus virginianus].
The meadows were very dry and this
condition of affairs may have induced
the birds to leave the haunt. Took two 
sets of Melospiza palustris containing re-
specively 4 and 5 eggs all fresh. Also
two sets of Agelaius phoeniceus with 4
eggs each, one set fresh the others slightly
incubated. One of the latter was
almost pendent in a tall bush over