Last day of the season on ruffed
MASS. (Middlesex Co.) [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1875. Dec. 31- 1875
Dec. 31 [December 31, 1875] Clear, still and warm, a lovely winter
day. Took the 7.30 Ex. train on the
F. R.R. [Fitchburg Railroad] and met Jim [James C. Melvin] at Concord
junction. Then taking a freight train
on the C. L. & N. we got off at Robbin's
mills and commenced our beat. I shot
a Scaeffer muz. ldr. 11g. which I had on trial
while Jim used Charlie Carter's gun.
Had a very pleasant days sport, starting
some 25 grouse and bagging 6 between
us. The birds, as might be expected in
so fine a day, were mostly found out
in very open situations, and in several 
instances lay very hard. One in 
particular which Shot found in an
alder run, lay so close that I found
it impossible to get the dog to start
at all, and Jims dog being sent
in to flush it, it rose within four
feet of Shots nose. They are wonderfully
tough at this season. All six of our birds
were secured only by their being wing tipped
though with one exception all were more
or less shot in the body, and one
literally riddled, and that too with 
English chilled shot No 7. In one place
a bird went out of a tall pine over
our heads: both guns were discharged
at the same instant and he came
pitching down heading to the earth
but when within four feet of it, he
recovered himself and striking into a
small pine fluttered through it, then
struck another and for some time
his laborious progress could be traced