CONCORD. 
Afternoon Walk in "Damsdale" . 
Spent most of the day in the house, writing, hut 
late in the afternoon took a. walk up through the Damsdale. 
There were puddles in the roads, pools in hollows in the 
fields, and the brooks were swollen to nearly an early spring 
"pitch". The air was perfectly still and very damp, so 
that sounds carried an unusual distance. The birds were all 
singing madly especially the Brown Thrashers and Cat-birds, 
while scarce a minute passed when I did not hear the flight 
song of an Oven-bird. A Wood Thrush was singing near Pratt's 
spring and another on Punkatassett. At least two, and I 
think three, Partridges were drumming at short, regular in¬ 
tervals near the head of the Damsdale and I started two 
which were not drummers and probably female birds. In the 
"new pasture" a Quail was whistling. On the edge of some 
oak scrub an Olive-backed Thrush rose from the ground as I 
approached and sitting on a low branch eyed me with timid 
curiosity occasionally uttering a low peenk . This was the 
only northern migrant I saw during my walk. 
Shad bush is now shedding its petals. I found 
one tall specimen of the ten frond (botryapium) in the 
Damsdale still in good flower, its large snowy blossoms very 
conspicuous and beautiful. Also found a Rhodora on high 
ground among hazel bushes near a wall, in bloom. The apple 
trees have not generally opened their blossoms as yet. "Cow¬ 
slips" still very showy but past their prime. A grand chorus 
of Hylas and Toads this evening. 
