1879. 
General Observations. 
Middlesex County, Mass. 
(May 14)„ 
•• li 
kle every bit of green turf like drops of gold. The 
pear trees in the garden are in full bloom and the air 
is heavy with their fragrance night and day. 
July 14. 
Concord River was very beautiful to-day in its 
wealth of luxuriant summer verdure. Its margin was 
every where studded with the pure snowy blossoms of the 
pond lily, and the Great Meadows was one vast sea of 
waving grasses. I cannot detect any migratory movement 
as yet among the smaller birds. 
» 17. 
The lineoln vroods were very lovely to-day in their 
full sumeer foliage but they were nearly deserted of 
birds, only an occasional tanager being heard singing. 
The iridescent—winged deer flies were very numerous and 
troublesome. 
Sept.27. 
The country was very beautiful and the road through 
the Willows really enchanting. The poison ivf which 
draped many of the trees there was tinged with gold and 
and various skaedw- shades of erimsonand the light that 
straggled to the ground beneath softened as by the stain¬ 
ed glass windows of some old cathedral, With the ex¬ 
ception of the ivy, however, and an occasional maple. 
Very few of the trees have changed color as yet. The air 
is filled vrith that subtle mellowness which seems to be 
felt rather than seen, the clustering scarlet pendants 
of the barberries by the roadside, the blue waxen berries 
of the Cornell along the brooks, and the beautiful night¬ 
shade berries, give an agreeable touch of color to the 
dark hickories, while the golden rods and asters already 
brighten the v/’ood opening and roadsides., 
Oct. 10. 
On Pairhaven Bay this afternoon, a thin grey mist 
had settled over the basin. The surrounding hills wore 
brought out in bold relief and looked much higher than 
coDTOon. The expanse of water was absolutely without a 
rippie and-the moist air rendered distant sounds distinct¬ 
ly audible. We could hear a farmer whistling as he 
worked a mile away and the chirp of crickets came distiet- 
ly to our ears from across the widest part of the Bay. 
A few frogs were croaking doubtfullt in the reeds, and 
an occasional distant shot was heard in the woods. 
“ 15. 
Although the woods are getting this and many a leaf¬ 
less tree makes a vacant space they are still very charm¬ 
ing in the mellow sunshine of a hazy afternoon like that 
of to-day. The ground is now carpeted with fallen 
leaves* Most of the chestnuts have shed their foliage, 
the tupelov/s and red maples ar"! bare, the birches fast 
thinning; nevertheles s I heard the trying shrill of 
an cicada to-day (Concord). 
