Nyctiardea var Gardeni - winters in numbers
MASS. (Middlesex Co.) [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1876 Feb. - 1876
Feb. 15 [February 15, 1876] The winter now nearly past has been a
remarkably mild one and birds of all
kinds have been so scarce that I have
devoted my entire attention to house work
and have not killed  a specimen since Dec. [December 1875]
With the exception of three days of very
good - though albeit rather thin - sleighing 
the ground has been entirely bare most
of the time. The only irregular Northern
bird visitors that I have noticed are
the grosbeaks (P. eneuclator [Pinicola enucleator]) which although
not so abundant as last season have still
been present in considerable numbers.
Three or four days back I saw a flock
of 8 in our cedar tree: a few adult red
[males] have been secured but not so
many nearly, as last winter. Aegiothus
linaria was seen & shot (Arthur Smith) in
Nov. [November 1875] or Dec. [December 1875] but has not been reported on
any good authority since. The ordinary
winter residents are here in generally
small numbers, as for instance Corvus
of which I have seen a few only at wide
intervals. Have not heard of the occurrence
of Carpodacus which must be regarded
of somewhat irregular presence in winter
severity of weather having apparently but little
to do with the matter. But the most remarkable
fact of all remains to be mentioned. The following tells
its own story. I will simply add that
the herons have a regular roost on Prof.
Lowells place. They are also reported
by J.N. Clark as wintering at Say-
brook in numbers & a flock was also
seen at West Newton Mass. Dec 31-75 [December 31, 1875]
by Messrs. Werren et Eager
[newspaper clipping: letter to the editor concerning heron sightings by James Russell Lowell]
Prof J.R. Lowell
[margin](Feb. 17 [February 17, 1876]- Went up to Prof. Lowell's place this evening at sunset to see the night herons: three only came out of the pines and flew directly over my head toward the river,  each uttering its loud quak as it left its roosting place. The sight was a most novel & interesting one to me, the evening being very cold with a blustering N.W. [northwest] wind. As I reached the spot a little late others may have left before my arrival)