6) 
CONCORD. Walk to "Damsdale" Woods. 
1892 
March 14 
Barred(?) 
Owl 
Late in the afternoon I took a walk to the 
Darasdale. Passing across Derby’s meadow I saw two Blue¬ 
birds and two or three Song Sparrows, all silent and 
looking discouraged enough. Among the birches in the 
Dgmsdale I got the odor of a Skunk, very strong indeed. 
Working up wind for a few rods I suddenly lost it. I 
then turned back and beat about over the ground but 
could find nothing. I always got the scent at about the 
same place and lost it at another certain place, perhaps 
20 yards from the first. There was certainly no Skunk 
there, although the smell was very strong, in fact 
chokingly strong at one place. 
As I was walking through Derby’s Lane I started 
a large Owl which I took to be a Barred Owl although I 
could not make sure. It flew from a low branch within 
15 yards of me and struck out over the open meadow to 
the North,alternately flapping and sailing and making 
slow headway against the strong wind. Just as it started^ 
a Red Sqiirrel sprang up the trunk of the tree from which 
it flew. The two creatures must have been within a yard 
of one another for a moment. Was the Owl watching the 
Squirrel or the Squirrel the Owl? There was a Brown 
Creeper among the hemlocks. 
