^ v i V 
tA 
L/i/o 
¥/ 
A Deer 
within 50 
feet of 
the cabins 
at Pall * s 
Kil l 
There can be little doubt that the author of these 
strange cries was a bird, probably a Rail or Gallinule of 
some kind. I also believe that I heard two different indi¬ 
viduals yesterday. 
[two Virginia Rauls in the meadows opposite Ball’s 
' v \ 
Hill called kec-kec , kec-kec . lec-kec , etc. without the 
slightest ceasation last night from 10.20 to 11.15, when I 
went to sleep. I have never before known them to utter 
tnis cry (— of course to the cutta . but sounding as I have 
written it, probably owing to the distance or to the 
deadening effects of a strong wind blowing at the time) so 
ceaselessly and persistently. 
There were three Bitterns pumping last evening, one 
near the head of Great Meadow, another near its middle, 
the third opposite Ball's Hill. 
I found tather old deer tracks yesterday on the 
roadway that crosses the 3arrett meadow to Holden's Hill and 
apparently perfectly fresh ones this morning along the 
border of the path from the stone horse-shed to the edge of 
the boat pit within fifty feet of Gilbert's cabin , where the 
animal had evidently turned back and retraced her steps to 
Holden's meadow, afterwards crossing the larch plantation 
beyond he swamp. Both sets of tracks were similar add, I 
should say, those of doe born a year ago this spring. They 
looked larger, however, than those I saw on and near the 
Farm last March. 
