bBrVM' 2-a<» 
CONCORD. 
When I started for the Buttricks' at 8.30 A. M., 
the sun was shining brightly and the river perfectly calm. 
Song Sparrows, Robins and Red-wings singing in every 
direction. A Downy Woodpecker drumming in the elm in front 
of the Keyes’, another in the Buttricks' elm and a third 
near the Manse. A Phoebe in full song near my boat-house 
at North Bridge. A pair of Chickadees in the Buttricks* 
orchard, the female hard at work excavating her nesting 
hole which she had carried in and down apparently about 3 
inches. I watched her for some time and started her mate 
whistling by an imitation of his phoebe note. A Bluebird 
came into the orchard and warbled softly, sitting on the 
topmost spray of an apple tree, quivering his wings. 
The sky began to cloud over before I left the 
landing and when I reached the meadows it was wholly gray. 
A light southwest wind axose and wafted me across the 
broadest part of the meadows, when it fell calm again. I 
had sailed to within about 100 yards of a pair of Goose- 
anders without apparently causing them much alarm but 
when I took down the sail they rose at once and flew out 
of sight down river. As I was approaching them, I watched 
them through a strong glass. They spent most of the time 
preening their feqthers, turning well over on their sides, 
the old drake showing the rich salmon of his lower parts 
w^ile thus engaged. Occasionally one or the other would 
i 
