1898 
November 26 
Gooseanders 
in the river 
opposite 
Ball's Hill 
Pied-billed 
Grebe 
I went to Cambridge on the 23rd and returned to the 
cabin last evening. Up to yesterday the sesnon has continued 
remarkably mild and open, with no snow whatever and few 
frosts hard enough to stiffen the ground, while in the still 
green fields butterflies.have been flitting about and crickets 
chirping up to within two or three days whenever the sun shone 
warmly* 
The change from autumn to winter came last night when 
the thermometer fell to about 20°. At daybreak this morning 
the meadows, now covered two or three feet deep with water, 
were frozen almost thickly enough to bear a man's weight and 
the open water in the river steamed in the sharp, biting air. 
Just as the sun was rising, a flock of five Sheldrake came 
swimming past the cabin, following the edge of the ice on 
the further side of the river, moving very fast and diving, 
sometimes all practically at once, but oftener one immediately 
after another in quick succession, each bird springing quite 
clear of the water as it took its downward plunge. They 
reminded me forcibly of a school of Porpoises, as they 
appeared and disappeared, making the calm water flash and 
sparkle in the sunlight. Apparently they had ill success 
* 
with their fishing, for after they had passed the cabin 
they all took wing and went off over the frozen meadows 
towards the south-west. 
A few minutes later a Carolina Grebe cane swimming 
down river, skirting the cabin shore closely, and even 
