408 MASS. (Middlesex Co.) 1876. Monday Dec. 11 Habits of the quail - Sturmel magna Clear & cold. This, 0° at sunrise. In P.M. took 'Gunnels and went up to the pine swamp when I tracked a quail for some time & started & shot at a grouse. I tracked the grouse from distance when it turned on its track and passed me within 20 yds. under cover of some fallen brush soon behind me. That it did this with design & while I was pressing closely on its footsteps was clearly proved by the long strides which it took & which were clearly visible in the snow. Tuesday Dec. 12 Cloudy through the day clearing at sunset. About five inches of snow fell last night & this morning. In P.M. started out taking my pointer "Smuggler". Beat the pine brush in rain; then tried the maple swamp beyond "Block island" and after tracking a berry of quail for some distance "Smuggler" finally found & pointed them in fine style. As they rose I "put on" to two but pulled trigger in plain for the hammer through some mistake had been left at half cock. Following them I found the other half of the berry but it was so dark when they rose that I could not be along the barrel & fired two shots in vain. Saw few as I found by following the tracks had split up on half keeping in the swamp, the other ranging out to feed in the open when I found them. Saw a single Sturmel magna flying on the big meadow. Saw also a must rat div into an air hole in the ice.