page [110] (seq. 111)

110
A Trip to Concord, Mass.
1900
June 29-30
(6)
little hole were the remains of seventeen eggs.
A very short grass, burned by the sun was all
that covered the little bank. Three of the eggs
had not hatched but the proud mother had
succeeded in getting off fourteen young ones.
An Italian boy working for Mr. Arnold had
discovered the nest, and was stopped, once
in the act of stoning the bird and once
when trying to snare it. The young when
hatching had chipped round the egg at the
larger end, and then in pushing their way out
the top of the egg holding on by a small bit
of the lining of the shell acted as a lid
which closed after the chick had emerged,
and gave much the appearance of a whole
egg. A short distance from the nest one
might well have believed that the eggs were
unhatched. It was a very pretty sight.

Quail’s nest with 16 eggs
Returning to the cabin we enjoyed some
delicious strawberries, and scrambled eggs for
Gilbert is an excellent cook, and then
Will & I with Mr. & Mrs. Gleason late from
Minneapolis, who had been taking
photographs on the place, crossed the river
for the 6 o’clock train. Mr. Mills the
bricklayer went with Will & me through the
field to the station and showed us
another Quail’s nest. It was close to a stone wall
in the field, and within two feet of the
well-worn path used at intervals through
the day. The nest was completely hidden