General observations. 
1879. 
1 Maine (Lake Umbagog). 
(May 26) 
« 27. 
« 28. 
June 6. 
the fitted blossoms. The woods wore r.early silent only 
a faint cheep being heard novr and then. 
Although the day was clear arid rather v/arm Warblers 
v/ere still iri flocks keeping near the ground in shelter¬ 
ed places. In a single fallen tree-top I counted fif¬ 
teen, among them throe male Blackburnians, several Yel¬ 
low-rumps, Canada Flycatchers, Black and Yo11o\y Warblers 
etc < 
Clear and vrarm, the bullfrogs about the Lake shores 
singing in chorus to-day for the first time. They are 
called the “Umbagog Band” by t'le country people. 
The scenerj'' about the upper part of the Lane, al- 
v/ays refreshingly wild and beautiful, was unusually so 
late this afternoon. The rain had ceased and the sun¬ 
light streaming in places through rents in the clouds 
throve a strong light on the glistening verdure the 
forest bordered shores. Wreaths of surling, cloud-like 
mist floated over the valleys eKVeloping the P'ountain 
summits whoso outlines when unvailod stood out in unusu¬ 
ally bold relief in the strong but shadovrloss light. 
U 
U 
7. 
9. 
An extraordinary day for Juno, oven in this region, 
a bitter cold wind vrhistling about the house axul tearing 
the surface of the Lake into spray and frequent violent 
squalls accompanied by showere of little pollots, neither 
hail nor snow, but half way betY/een the tvro and looking 
like homoepathic pills. This v/'eather contii.uing through 
the day completely silenced the birds. The Warblers 
collected into largo flocks in sheltered nooks, keeping 
close to the ground as upon their i'irst arrival. At 
times not a single note, not even the fchntest chirp, 
could be hoard in the vraods. I suspect that many sit¬ 
ting birds abandoned their nests. The nest of a Red 
start which I visitedthis morning presented a curious 
appearance; the bird was absent and tlie eggs w'ore 
half hurried in pellets of snov;. 
Drove through Dixville Notch to Colobrook. After 
passing Errol, the road for six or seven miles leads 
through a farming country. Bobolinks vrero numoroas 
everywhere in the meadows and Traill’s Plycate''iers in 
the thickets and Y/illo^.’s-along the stream. Follov/ing 
up the valley of Clear Stream vre at-length entered a 
long stretch of v/ooris v/’here the road begins to ascend 
rapidly. About three miles east of the Notch I noticed 
a slight change in the bird fauna caused by the differ¬ 
ent relative abundance of several species as compared 
with the Lake region, the total absence of one (D. black- 
bur niae ), and the excessive abupdanco of another (D. stria- 
ta ) which never breeds at Upton. The woods v;ere similar 
to thoso at Umbagog, but firs v/oro more abundant and of 
larger size. The country botv/oen Dixville Notch and ^ 
Colobrook is similar in character to that botv/een Errol 
and the mountains. 
