38 UPTON, MAINE 1873 July 28 - 31 around the house. July 28. Clear, cool and a lovely day. Father left this after- oon leaving me alone and I passed a most dull evening feeling exceedingly homesick, but as soon as I can get out among the birds again shall feel better. July 29. Cloudy and rained nearly all day. Spent most of the day in the house and find myself now gaining fast. "Charles" Barstow came down on the boat this evening having been up to Parmachuny Lake with Magee and friends: he seems to be a gentleman and a good fellow. July 30. Clear and a lovely day. In the morning went out behind the barn and watched the birds for an hour or two and found a nest of Ch.tristis by the twittering of the sitting ♀ but was unable to reach it. The swallows are, I think, preparing to leave: I notice that H.lunifrons flies much higher as a rule than the others and is harder to take on that account: have seen no H.bicolor for several days. In the P.M. went down river with Barstow and I shot a kingfisher, my first bird, with my rifle at about 80 yds. We saw about a dozen of these birds altogether. July 31. Clear but warm. After brakfast went out behind the barn and shot a D.coronata and D.maculosa nestling and a H. lunifrons. In P.M. went down river and on the way back had the good luck to secure two Picoides arcticus, and adult and nestling, both ♂. Took also a S.sialis nestling and a Sp.varius do. Saw a large flock of Aeg.semipal. and 3 G.flavipes and