Walter Deane (1848-1930) Papers; Journal, 1896-1899. Botany Libraries, Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, Mass.

112 — 1897 — Feb. 19 — Cambridge, Mass. — This P.M. I went over and spent about 3 hrs. with Fernald at his room. He has been sick. He gave me a good package of Me. plants. I called also on Miss Furbish. She seemed very glad to see me, and she showed me her paintings & drawings, as she has been doing them at the Gray Herb. It is beautiful work —

— Feb. 20 — Spent the A.M. studying sinpe sandpipers & rails and Grouse in the Museum. Saw Will at 12 o'clock and had a nice talk with him. He told me of a large flight of Cedar Birds in his garden in the early A.M. To the Herb. in the P.M. Moved all the Club material to another room —

— Feb. 21 — Sunday. Slept at Mothers as Geo. has gone to Woodstock snow-shoeing. This A.M. went 3 times to Will's garden when I saw the Cedar Birds, at 7.30, about 20, at 8.30 but few at 12 a good many in the flowering apple tree. Could to count them. Went to the exhibition of photos. Fine. During to-day I have taken all Mr Churchill's plants from their sheets and put them into others, ready to arrange.

113 — 1897 — Feb. 28 — Cambridge, Mass. — Sunday — A week since my last entry. Spending the nights at the other house and being very busy during the day have prevented. Mary is better. She was taken very sick on Monday P.M. and Margie sat up with her all Monday night. A nurse came Tuesday and Geo. was written for. Mary suffered from the pain in her head which she has had for some weeks and from extreme nausea. Geo. returned Thursday. My days have been spent in town in the mornings. Wed. I took Harold over the Agassiz Museum. It is a grand object lesson. I have spent part of the afternoons at the Museum of Will's and I have now finished the mounted collection and made a plan of it in a note-book Will & I have had some talks in relation to my assisting him next year in the Museum, mainly in the library. I like the idea very much. Will doesnt recover strength from his attack, and he will doubtless go away this week for 2 months. Meanwhile I have been over to the Gray Herbarium and sent a box of plants to Sydney Harris to mount. He has returned the Oak Isle plants mounted. I have put Mr. Churchill's pile into covers labelled in the corner, arranged them systematically, examined most of the doubtful ones and recorded the field labels in a check-list from which Mr. C. will make out labels. Mr & Mrs Churchill & Anna started Thursday A.M. for Jamaica. I saw Mr. C. Tues. and bade him good-by. Mr. Purdie dined with us yesterday & spent the evening.

114 1897 Mar 7 — Cambridge — Sunday — 3 1/2 m. Total 420 1/2 m. Another week — I have worked on my own plants some, I have analyzed a good many more birds, principally from Mexico, with Ridgway's Manual and have taken great pleasure in it. I am seeing more into generic & specific characters. Our Club met Frid. evening. I enjoyed it very much. I showed a peculiar Opuntia from Nantucket in which the flower had no apparent ovary, but the seeds were imbedded in the upper half of the joint. I have been down to the Bot. Museum & the Gray Herb. Will's Museum I visit very frequently. I am very much pleased that Will & I have agreed that I shall assist him next year in his Museum in the library and with his birds. I look forward to this with the keenest pleasure and I only trust that I can do the work. This morning I took a short wheel. It was refreshing.

Mar. 14 Cambridge, Sunday Mar. 11 5 1/2 m. Total 426 m. Mar. 14 2 m. Total 438 m. The past week has been spent in the same pleasant busy wy as usual. I have been over to the Gray Herb. and done a little Club work. I have analyzed a lot of birds from the Museum. It is very fascinating. Tues. evening Geo & I went to the Revere House dinner. Met Mr. Lenks. We alwasy sit opposite at table. Sat. evening went to Dramatic Club Theatricals with H.A. Purdie. Thurs. wheeled 5 1/2 m. This A.M. 2 m. Snow storm to-day.

115 1897 Mar. Apr 23 — Cambridge Mass — A very busy time since last entry over birds especially. I have analyzed a large number of Western Birds and am getting familiar with the systematic arrangement of birds in general. I look forward to my next year's work. Last Wed. Harold & I climbed to the top of Bunker Hill Monument. Sunday, the 21st, I walked up to the hill by Chas. River near the Cemetery and saw my first song sparrows. This P.M. I wheeled up to the Glacialis and saw Chickadees, Juncos, Song Sparrows, Crows & a Flicker — In the swamp on Huron Ave I saw Red-Winged Black Birds, a Robin & a Cedar Bird.

Mar. Apr 25 Cambridge Mass — Dined to-day at Will Brewster's. After dinner saw in the garden a Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca). I thoroughly enjoyed seeing him scratching away. He is large for a sparrow and his deep rufous markings give him a handsome appearance.

We had a remarkable exhibition this afternoon at Will's of a trick dog. He belongs to Mr. Davis who gives exhibitions of him. He is remarkably trained and picks out colored handkerchiefs, numbers &c.

Apr Mar. 27 — Cambridge 7 m Total 435 m. Delightful wheel this P.M. & A.M. Saw 2 Brown Creepers on the Wyman's Willows. Saw nothing else new. Have named a number more birds among them a Dowitcher. Have named a number of Potamogetons for Dr. Brainerd. He sent me good {Potamogeton} lucens connecticulensis. Fine thing. At Will's Museum considerable —

116 1897 Mar. 28 — Cambridge, Mass. — 7 m. Total 442 m. This A.M. I wheeled down to Dr. Robinson's and had a talk with him on the present status of botanical & ornithological nomenclature. We wheeled up to the Glacialis and round by Porter's. I saw a ♂ {male} Flicker (Coloptes curatus) running about on the ground by Dr. Robinson's. To-day I have analyzed Hoboell's Grebe, Little Green Heron, Steller's Jay, & Brown Marlin {Merlin}. Put into the mounting box Glatfelter's Willows. Took tea up at the other house. Mr. Purdie joined us.

— Apr. 1 — Cambridge — Mar Apr. 30 3 1/2 m. T. 445 1/2 m. Mar Apr. 31 3 m. T. 448 1/2 m. 9 m Total 457 1/2 m. Last evening I went down to Dr. Farlow's to meet Erwin F. Smith who is making a short stay in Cambridge. Met a number of the Cambridge botanists. Will has gone to Concord and I leave a key to the Museum where I go & to come freely studying in books & birds & catalogues. I have analyzed from the skins in the collection the Pygopodes of E. No. Amer. It is intensely interesting — Spent this A.M. in the Museum. Worked on the typewriter for an hour. Wheeled to Boston this P.M. and called on Aunt Anna & Ellen. The river was like glass with the sun sparkling on it. Off towards W. Boston bridge I counted with the aid of my glass 40 Golden Eyes and 30 Herring Gulls. Erwin F. Smith dined with us and spent the evening. I showed him my herb., photos &c. He was very enthusiastic.