Cyanospiza cyanea - Ceryle alcyon - Nyc. gardeni [Nyctiardea gardeni]
Dec. 5 [December 5, 1876] Dec. 14 [December 5, 1876] Dec. 15 [December 5, 1876]   
MASS. (Middlesex Co.) [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1876. Quail shooting
Thursday
Dec. 14 [December 14, 1876] Clear but absolutely still - not a breath of wind
& a bad day consequently, for scent. Met the
three Nesbitt brothers by appointment at 9. 30.
I took "Launce" to day while Robert had
his new setter bitch "Nell". John was fully
equipped with three setters, "old Beth", "Maud"
and "Zelpha". We found the remnant of
the pine swamp bevy in the same place
as yesterday, only four birds getting up.
He must have left more than that number
yesterday unless we wounded more than
we thought. Robert was the only one of the
party that stood within shooting distance
& he hit one bird very hard and following
it out into the open I sprang it again &
gave it the finish. In the swamp "Launce"
roaded & pointed a grouse in fine style but
I missed it when it got up. We next tried
the Block is. [Block Island] bevy and started it in the swamp.
About eight birds were left. Robert killed 2
and John 1 from this bevy. I fired four shots
and missed them all. These quail were
now so badly frightened that they lay
like stones and even when let alone a long
time were afraid to call. We gave up
hunting at about 4 P.M. and returned.
I find by examining tracks in the snow
that the ruffled grouse associates with the
quail and runs & feeds with the bevy.
This I had previously suspected from the
fact that one so often starts the two species species
together.
Frazer shot a Cy. cyanea [Cyanospiza cyanea] in fall pl. [plumage] on Dec. 5. [December 5, 1876]
He also saw a female Ceryle alcyon Dec 14 [December 14, 1876] and
a Nyctiardea gardeni Dec. 15 [December 15, 1876] All in Watertown
on the Coolidge farm.
[margin]W. B. [William Brewster] quail 1- R.B.N. [Robert B. Nesbitt] quail 3(-1) J. N. [John Nesbitt] quail 1 - total 4[/margin]