Walter Deane papers

103 Cambridge, Mass. 1900 June 26 Yesterday was as usual in the Musuem.

Myiarchus crinitus nest & eggs in Waltham. To-day has been a glorious day, clear, cool. This morning I breakfasted with Will and at eight o'clock Will, Lothrop, O.A., George Deane & I started for a trip to a nest of the Great-crested Flycatcher which Lathrop had discovered. We took the electrics to Waltham. Then we changed to the line that now runs all the way through Lexington St. to Lexington. It is the best road bed and the easiest running car that I ever experienced. We went at great speed and got off at the Trapelo Road. Then we walked west on the Trapelo Road 3/10 of a mile (bicycle measure) and turned into the old apple orchard. There in a dead limb and out flew the old bird like a shot. Both birds soon appeared and kept near all the time that we were there, an hour or more. They were silent most of the time, occasionally uttering their characteristic note. Several photographs were taken of the hole and during some of the exposures, one of the birds sat on a small branch close by the nest and but a few yards from the camera.

The trunk of the apple tree divided into several branches, about 5 1/2 feet from the ground. One of these branches was dead. It extended about 7 feet from the trunk

104 Cambridge, Mass. 1900 June 26 (2) and was about 6 inches through at the base. The end of the branch was about 10 feet from the ground, and had decayed to a long point. 2 1/2 feet from th eend of the hole began and the nest was one feet down at the bottom built on the remains of a squirrels' next. The entrance to the nest was 7 feet from the ground, or more probably 8 feet. The stub is 6 inches through at the nest. Lothrop cut the stub off just above and below the nest which contained five eggs. The nest and eggs witll be deposited at Will's Museum. The scarcity of Massachusetts records is the reason for the taking of the set.

We then walked a short way through the woods to Hardy's Pond, a pretty sheet of water where Will used to shoot, when a boy. We passed through a grove of White Cedar in a swamp. A good many birds were about. Pine Warblers :x: {in full flight}, Purple Finch :x: {in full flight}, King-fishers 2 :x: {in full flight}, Barn Swallows &c. We returned by electrics by way of Lexington & Arlington, reaching home by about 1.30 P.M.

This evening I attended our Class Dinner to celebrate our 30th Anniversary. We had a very jolly time.

June 27 Lorthrop called to-day with the Flycatcher eggs which he had taken home to blow. He said that they were rather badly incubated, but he succeeded in blowing them well.

105 A Trip to Concord, Mass. 1900 June 29-30 Warm on the 29th, very cool with heavy wind on 30th.

I took the 5.01 P.M. train at Arlington, yesterday the 29th for West Bedford, where Gilbert met me, and escorted me through the field & woods to the Concord River where the canal dug through the Great Meadows reaches the shore. I saw a fine example of the Garter Snake in the path way. The three golden stripes that run down his body, one on the back, and one on either side are very conspicuous. We crossed the river to the cabin and I was pleased to see a Bittern fly over us, as we were poling through the Meadows, and drop out of sight in the long grass. Five times during my visit I saw a Bittern on the wing. Will met me and we had a nice supper of liver, bacon, biscuits, and delicious strawberries, soon after our arrival that we might take as long a stroll as possible before dark. We walked around Ball’s Hill and over Pine Ridge & Davis Hill, examining the plants, and landscape, and noting the birds. We noted 23 species which I shall append later. A Quail was calling BobWhite across the river at intervals, a Swamp Sparrow was trilling in the low land, and Swifts, Barn, Eave & Bank Swallows were sailing over the marshes, catching the insects that form their daily meal. Occasionally the flight-song of our oven bird would be

106 A Trip to Concord, Mass. 1900 June 29-30 (2) heard, and from the deep woods the gushing song of the Wilson’s Thrush would charm the listener. At one spot we started a Partridge with a covey of young, and after the brood, each bird about the size of a pigeon, had disappeared with loud whirring of wings, we heard the old hen whining like a small dog as she crept about in the bushes to distract our attention from her offspring. Two or three times after we started a Partridge. As we stood on Davis Hill we heard three Tanagers singing at once, and returning through the increasing twilight suddenly a Cotton-tail Rabbit hopped into the path before us, and with ears erect sat motionless for some minutes, disappearing into the woods only as we drew near. The loud keé-yau, keé-yau of the Redshouldered Hawk rang through the air as we sauntered along, but it came from the mouth of a Blue-Jay, a mimic in more ways than one.

It is astonishing to see the number of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants that Will has set out over his large place. In an open field we walked through an avenue of pines, small yet, but in the future to line a long drive way , with a row on either side, and an extra row outside for a pathway.

We had a pleasant evening talking in the cabin, and I slept soundly through the night.

107 A Trip to Concord, Mass. 1900 June 29-30 (3) This morning we breakfasted at about 6.30 and soon drove up to the Barrett Farm. Peter, the man, having come down in the buggy with Charlie the bright active horse, 30 years old that was 12 years of age, 15 years ago when Will’s father bought him. I saw the cow from Mr. G.F. Day’s of Peterborough, and the large, hollowed-out rock that Mr. Day put salt in to feed his sheep. That huge rock struck Will’s fancy as it lay in the pasture in Peterborough and now it rests before the Barrett House and holds water for the pigeons. Will showed me an Indigo nest with two cold eggs among the raspberry bushes near the house. The birds had reared a single one. I also saw a Phoebe’s nest under the eaves of the barn.

From the Barrett House we walked through the woods and fields for two or three hours before we reached the cabin at 12. In the Barrett woods we visited the grove of Red Pines (Pinus resinosa), a most interesting species in this section. They are good-sized healthy trees and innumerable seedlings are scattered about. Many of these have been transplanted to other places. As we approached a large mass of rock in these woods, Will

108 A Trip to Concord, Mass. 1900 June 29-30 (4) Fox in Concord. told me a story of an adventure he had two or three days before with a fox at this very place. He was standing on the rock (it is called Pulpit Rock) looking towards a stone wall some thirty yards ahead, when he saw a fox clear the wall, approach a short distance with head down, and then follow a run way going about parallel with the wall. Will immediately began to squeak like a mouse and at the same time remained absolutely motionless. The fox turned sharply at the sound and with head still lowered, never looking up, moved towards Will. The squeaking continued and the fox advanced till within about 20 feet. He was a big fellow and looked ugly, and Will grew nervous and was about to stop the noise, when the fox paused, and made a circuit of just half a circumference to get the scent probably of the object he was after for the wind was blowing up to this time from the fox to Will. The second he had completed the circuit, he learned that a man, his natural enemy was near, and without a moment’s hesitation he bounded away aided by the shouts that Will uttered when he learned that he was discovered.

This shows how dependent the fox is upon scent to learn what to seek, and what to avoid in his hard search for a living. Certainly in this case, had he seen Will before he did, he would have run off then.

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

A Trip to Concord, Mass. 1900 June 29-30 (7)

by long grass and contained one unhatched egg and the remains of fifteen eggs whose young had gone. The shells were like those I saw at Mr. Arnold’s. We took these eggs with us. The lid is sometimes knocked off, and some times it remains open, or may be closed thus: — [drawing] We reached home by about 7.30 P.M. after a most delightful visit.

Following is a list of the birds seen or heard on either side of the river within a mile radius from the cabin on June 29 & 30: —

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Little Green Heron 1 ✓ {in flight} Quail 2 {in full song} 2 nests with 16 & 17 eggs hatched Partridge 3 {adults} & flock of young Song Sparrow 4 :x: {in full song} Red-shouldered Hawk 1 seen :x: {in full song} Sparrow Hawk 1 ✓ {in flight} across River 30th {Black}billed Cuckoo 1 :x: {in full song} Flicker saw on enter a hole in apple tree near station, 30th Swift 12 {in flight} Kingbird 3 Phoebe 4 (ad. & im.) Wood Pewee 2 :x: {in full song} Chebes 2 :x: {in full song} Blue Jay 1 {in full song} 1 crying like B. lineatus Crow 3 {in full song} Bobolink 4 {males} 2 {females} 2 im. Red-winged {Blackbird} 12 :x: {in full song} Oriole 1 {immature} calling Bronzed Grackle 10

English Sparrow 12 Vesper {Sparrow} 1 :x: Chipping Sparrow 1 :x: {in full song} Swamp Sparrow 2 :x: {in full song} Towhee 3 :x: {in full song} Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 :x: {in full song} Scarlet Tanager 3 :x: {in full song} at once Cliff Swallow 6 ✓ {in flight} Barn {Swallow} 12 ✓ {in flight} Bank {Swallow} 2 ✓{in flight} Red-eyed Vireo 3 :x: {in full song} {Black} & White Creeper 2 Yellow Warbler 2 Chestnut-sided Warbler 4 :x: {in full song} Blk-throated Green Warbler 2 :x: {in full song} Pine {Warbler} 3 saw ♀ {femailes} {in full song} Oven bird 4 :x: {in full song} Maryland Yellow throat 2 {in full song}

112 A Trip to Concord, Mass. 1900 June 29-30 (8) Redstart 4 :x: {in full song} Catbird 1 :x: {in full song} Brown Thrasher 1 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 x {in full song} Chickadee 6 Veery 3 :x: {in full song} Robin several Bluebird (5) {flock} old & young

Downy Woodpecker 1 Blackburnian Warbler 1 :x: {in full song}

48 species.

All these birds, except the Quail, Wood Pewee & Swamp Sparrow were observed on the 30th. Many of them were seen on the 29th also.