MASS. (Middlesex Co.) [Massachusetts Middlesex County]
1875.
(Dec.14) [December 14, 1875] Newcomb by name, who said he could
take us to a place where he had scat-
tered and left a large bevy of qual [quail].
Following his guidance we soon heard 
several birds calling in the corner lot
opposite Brown's and two rose the next
moment from the other side of a wall
and though shot at by each of my
companions got off unhurt. The next
moment Shot pointed stiffly directly
into the wall and though I repeatedly
urged him on refused to stir. N. coming up
thrust his arm into the wall in front
of the dogs nose and actually, toutched [touched] a
quail which the dog was pointing and
which the next instant whirred out the
other side and fell, shot at the same
moment by Newcomb and myself, and
coolly pocketed by him without any
remarks on either side. The next shot I
got was out on the open meadow where Shot
pointed a bird among the grass and I missed
it with both barrels, my only excuse being
fingers number with cold. Next Robert [Robert Nesbitt] started
5 birds at once & I killed a hen bird after he
had shot at it. Shot soon found one of the
others and pointed it in fine style until
Robert came up and got into position when
with much difficulty I sent him on and
the bird fell at the report of our fourth
barrel, fired by myself. It proved a fine
cock and with the hen made the largest pair
of quail I ever killed: I also noticed that all
the other birds of the bevy looked of unusual
Bag W.B. [William Brewster] Quail 3 - grouse 1 - rabbit 1
[margin]size. Newcomb said that [delete]there were[/delete] at least 25 birds got up at the first rise & I think this bevy if not a new one is the same that Melvin & I
started [delete]Oct.[/delete] Nov. 12 [November 12, 1875]. Started from Browns at dark and reached the house by 6 P.M. walking all the way home. Saw about a dozen Pinicola enucleator. Shot Jim M's [Jim Melvin's] Tonk's gun.[/margin]