1875 
General observations 
Middlesex County, Mass. 
Feb,18) i: 
Since January 1 we have had only two mornings when 
the thermometer has risen above 10®; Long Island Sound 
and Massachusetts Bay are frozen evep tight. Despite 
these conditions Robins, Purple Finches, and several 
other birds have been unusually numerous. 
“ 26. 
Std.r-nos 0 d Mole. Shot one in a small pond fiansad 
by the overflow of a meadow. It was swimming near shore, 
and I at first took it for a mink. At length v/ith some 
difficultyit crawled out on the ^ce which margined the 
shore. This happened near noon of a sunshiny day. 
Probably the Mole v/as drovmed ovit from its hole by the 
sudden rose of the brook. 
Mar. 30.■ 
i’ 
The change from vh.nter to spring has come with un¬ 
usual suddenness. Up to within a vreek the thermometer 
fell nightly to zero and the snow v/as a foot deep. 
To-day the ground is two-thirds bare and Sv/allows, 
Blackbirds etc. are numerous, while all sorts of insects, 
chiefly Seleeter©- Coleoutera and Dintera are moving 
about in sunny nooks. I saw the first stripped squir¬ 
rel out yesterday. 
Apr! 2. 1 
I have never known the early spring birds arrive so 
early and in such numbers as this year. The fields are 
now nearly bare but the v/oods are buried in snow and the 
meadov/s still covered with thick but rotton, show-ice. 
“ 6, 1 
Antiopa Butterflies out in force for the first time, 
the hylas have not begun to peep yet. 
to 
A foot of snow fell yesterday, early this morning 
I witnessed the singular spectacle of numerous Swallows 
and Butterflies flying about over snow-covered fields, 
while Grass Finches and Pine Warblers were in full song. 
“ 26. 
i Our common little yellow field butterfly was out 
for the first time to-day. 
“ 27. 
li The late April birds are verv late this vear and 
1 very scarce too, I think the White-bellied Swallows 
1 were nearly all killed by the cold snapps last week. 
Map 6. 
Saw the first snake of the season to-day. Toads 
began singing the night of May 3d. 
“ 14. 
A few cherry blossoms out for the first time to-day 
although the woods are as leafless as in winter they are 
now swarming with birds. 
“ 20. 
All the smaller birds this season. Sparrows, Warbler^ 
and Thrushes indiscriminately, are excessively fat, owing 
I think, to the fact that the slow advance of the season 
prevents them migrating v/ith their usual celerity. 
