Habits of the black variety of
Ipswich Mass.[Massachusetts] Nov. 22 - 1875.
Nov. 22 [November 22, 1875] Clear and cold with strong N. [north] wind.
with S. [Stone] took the 8.30 train for Ipswich
and hiring a boat set off down river.
Had proceeded about half a mile and were
rowing close in shore when happening to
glance up I saw [delete]with[/delete] sailing past within
about 40 yds.[yards] a few Archibuteo lagopus,
& picking up my gun I sent a charge
of No 3 through her and dropped her dead
into the river.  She had been sitting on
some tall oaks on the bank and had
allowed us to row fairly past her before 
taking wing. Keeping on down river
S. shot a fine adlt [adult] Larus agentatus [Larus argentatus] which 
tried to pass by us. Coming to "the Neck"
we next espied there five black hawks,
Archibuteo "Sancti Johannes", suspended
in the air breasting the wind, and
scanning the ground below for mice etc.
These three birds remained the entire day
in this spot which must have possessed
uncommon attractions for them.
If we landed they immediately left, flying
across to some of the other hills but
within ten minutes of our departure
they would return. They were so shy
that in a number of trials we succeeded
in getting only one shot and that 
a very long one. In habits and motion
I could not perceive that they differed
at all from the more common
bird "lagopus". They spent nearly all
their time suspended over one spot [?]
and I noticed that each individual
of the three had its own place to