Middlsex Co., Mass. 11 Oct. 6 - 1874 now nearly all I think flight birds which had dropped in last night for I found signs in only one or two places: they lay remarkably well and flew very strong. We found two or three of our birds on some sprig ground near J. Hill's. Here I shot a very large bird which after being just up once or twice had dropped into a field of standing corn. Saw Anthus ludovicianus and shot Striga maculata & E. trifidatus. Saw numbers of D. coronata yesterday It is I think this first arrival. Oct. 6 Clear and warm. Spent most of the day in town. J. Nobitt beat the meadow this morning without seeing a snipe or missed any bird worth shooting at. Pegulus fatrapa and Certhia familiaris arrived to day. Oct. 7 Cloudy with chill E. wind. Started for the meadows at about 9 A.M. Beat the whole of the large masses near Black Island without seeing a bird though in two places I found fresh signs of snipe. On the way back gwent through the rickyard swamp very thoroughly and had fair sport bagging 6 sail & 2 snipe in 8 shots. Shot pointed Arnold of the sail & behaved well as usual, I think once,