1876. 
General, ©liserTationsa. 
Middlesex County, “ass. 
(Mar. 7). 
bird notes this morning Song Sparrows and Bluebirds tak¬ 
ing a prominent part in the chorus. An unv/onted activi¬ 
ty was also apparent among the winter residents. Mrazar 
Ttrho has been out every day of late tells me that ho has 
seen no spring birds before this morning. 
Apr. 3. 
Very abundant to-day in Watertown. They have be¬ 
gun to attack the asparagus berries but are still most 
partial to those of the rod cedar. A flock covering the 
eone-shaped top of one of these trees mak^ a sungularly 
attractive picture. Some are always in the air, poi¬ 
sing like Hummingbirds,in front of the clustering berries. 
lYhen their appetite is satisfied they remove to the top 
of some tall deciduous tree in the neighborhood alighting 
in masses among the finer twigs. Here they are continu¬ 
ally hopping from twig to tv/ig- or moving sidev/ays along 
them apparently searching them for something and frefuentr- 
ly picking off some small objects, but exactly what 
I cannot discover as the crops of several that I killed 
while thus employed contained nothing but berries. With 
these they frequently cram themselves to the very mouth. 
Only four of sixteen v/hieh I shot to-day had wax-spots. 
May 23. 
Monning cloudy and very cold. Thermometer 43° at 
sunrise. In Lincoln I found the wood edges literally 
alive with small birds all silent, collected together in 
small flocks, searching for insects on or near the ground 
It was interesting to see Warblers, Flycatchers, Vireos, 
Grosbeaks, Tanagers etc. hopping about in company on the 
oak leaves with their feathers so ruffled up that they 
look like-animated bunches of cotton wool. 
Gaks, Maples, Hickories etc, are fast leafing out 
and the woods are already quite green. 
Aug, 4 . 
Pew birds are sing now. The cicadas are in full 
blast and tree crickets began singing a v/eok or two since 
but are not in full voice as yet. 
“ 27. 
I hear the faint list of Warblers passing overhead 
every night now, the crickets are still in full blast, but 
I have hoard no cicadas within the last few days. The 
flight of Waders is said to have been very small this 
summer. 
Oct. 4. 
The woods at Concord were very still to-day, not 
a breath of air stirring. From far and near could be 
hoard the rustling of leaves and occasionally the light 
pat of a dropping acorn. The former noises were mainly 
produced by Chipmunks, which were out in great force. 
Waders and other small birds are exceedingly numerous, 
especially in birches. 
Oet. 4, Parula . One (Concord), 
^0* “ “ One, the last (Concord). 
