EARLY SPRING IN MASSACHUSETTS. 149 
gested a certain fertility, an Ohio soil, as if 
they were making a humus for new literatures 
to spring in. I heard the bellowing of bull¬ 
frogs and the hum of mosquitoes reverberating 
through the thick embossed covers when I had 
closed the book. Decayed literature makes the 
richest of all soils. 
March 16,1864. A. m. Another fine morn¬ 
ing. Willows and alders along water courses 
all alive these mornings, and ringing with the 
trills and jingles and warbles of birds, even as 
the waters have lately broken loose and tinkle 
below, song-sparrows, blackbirds, not to men¬ 
tion robins, etc., etc. The song-sparrows are 
very abundant, peopling each bush, willow, or 
alder for a quarter of a mile and pursuing each 
other as if now selecting their mates. It is 
their song which especially fills the air, made 
an incessant and indistinguishable trill and jin¬ 
gle by their numbers. I see ducks afar sailing 
on the meadow leaving a long furrow in the 
water behind them. Watch them at leisure 
without scaring them, with my glass, observe 
their free and undisturbed motions. Some dark 
brown, partly on water, alternately dipping 
with their tails up, partly on land. Others with 
bright white breasts, etc., and black heads, of 
about the same size or larger. (Later date. 
Probably both are sheldrakes.) They dive and 
