Trip to Marston's Mills.
1875.
July 8 [July 8, 1875] and last Dend. discolor [Dendroica discolor] of which I noted
two males. Haliaeetus leucocephalus is quite 
common and I saw five or six mostly
immature birds. Capt. B. [Captain Baxter] says they breed
on the ponds back in the woods. In
the open country Pooecetes gramineus and
Sternella magna with Ortyx Vir. [Ortyx virginiana] are
the most abundant forms. The aggregate
[delete]variety[/delete] number of species, excluding
of course littoral and oceanic varieties,
must be excessively small. Spent most
of the day trolling for blue fish with Buels'
spoon and rod and reel but only struck
one, a fine fish which I played for
five or ten minutes but which ultimately
escaped.
July 9 [July 9, 1875]
Clear and warm. Off at 8 A.M. in
the Star, Nichols [John T. Nichols] not feeling well and 
remaining on shore. Spent the entire
day on the water fishing for blue fish
of which, [delete]I got[/delete] as yesterday, I hooked
a large one and after some fine play
lost. While sailing quietly through a narrow
channel came upon a Butorides
virescens fishing; he crawled rather than
walked along the muddy shore with neck
 drawn in, bearing a striking resemblance
to a huge mud turtle; at frequent
intervals he would shoot out his bill
almost horizontally and judging by the
swallowing motion that succeeded, nearly 
every thrust was successful. Another
beautiful sunset, hermit thrushes singing most
gloriously.