Canoe Trip on Concord. River 
1891 
May 33 
>ur start 
Colony of 
Martins 
With Spelman took the 2.35 train for Concord, the 
canoes having been sent yesterday. One proved to be on the 
train with us, the other had been left in Boston but the 
expressman promised that it should follow by the next train 
and he kept his word. 
We had a wait of nearly two hours at the Manse 
but as it was during the interval of sunshine and as the birds 
were singing exceptionally freely the time passed rapidly. . . 
On the arrival of the missing canoe, we at once 
went to work to get our things in place — a task which con¬ 
sumed nearly two hours so that it was about 7 P. M. when we 
finally got off and dark by the time we reached the Wine 
Acre Bridge. There was little singing from the birds at 
sunset, owing probably to the high, cool wind and lowering 
skies, but we heard most of the commoner species in fair 
numbers. A good many Red-wings v/ere scattered alaxg the river 
banks and Swifts were circling over the town as we passed. 
The colony of Purple Martins near Mr. Sanborn’s seems to be 
reduced to two or three pairs only but perhaps others had 
gone to bed before we reached the place. 
We hoisted our sails after passing the railroad 
bridge and skimmed swiftly over the remainder of the distance 
to Nine Acre Bridge. On reaching the pines opposite the 
Cliffs, I hooted a number of times for the Horned Owls but 
could get no response nor did we hear these birds during the 
