March 16 — 1875 The weather for the past two weeks has been most disagreeable. Still Easterly rain storms succeeded by fog and thaw with but an occasional sunny day. The thr has hitherto been above the freezing point nearly all this time and the ground is now bare in many places. The last skights were seen out on the 13th. On that day I saw four Pimelias in our birdseed and on the 15th a single bird (probably the last for this season). On the 14th (Sunday) Song Sparrows (at least two individuals) were singing in our garden and in the afternoon I heard another chanting regularly in Mr. Donalds Apple Mt. Auburn. I am not sure that they were arrivals indeed (rather opine) that they were resident birds but they were actually singing and not practicing. Have seen these older birds but once since last noted — in our yard when I noticed a small flock, setting on an elm overhanging Sparks St. This P.M. though the weather was dark & lowering I took my gun and strolled up to the farm where I met several "rapper" ornithologists with long barrel guns and small bird clothing baskets, whose enthusiastic boy talk and simple outfit reminded me both sadly and forcibly of happy days long past and firm friends now widely distant or in at least one instance