March 15

Pleasant morning, unexpectedly.

Hear on the alders by the river the lill lill lill lill of the first F. hycmalis, mingled with song sparrows and tree sparrows. The sound of Barrett's sawmill in the still morning comes over the water very loud. I hear that peculiar, interesting loud hollow tapping of a woodpecker from over the water.

I am sorry to think that you do not get a man's most effective criticism until you provoke him. Severe truth is expressed with some bitterness.

J. Farmer tells me his dog started up a lark last winter completely buried in the snow.

Painted my boat. (1854)

Jacob Farmer gave me today the foot of an otter, also of a fisher, to put with my pine marten's foot. He cut them off of recent furs in Boston. He sells about a hundred mink skins in a year. Thinks not more than thirty or forty are caught in Concord in a year. He says (I think) a mink's skin is worth two dollars! They are sent to Europe to be worn there, not for hats.

Foul weather all day, - at first a fine snow, and finally rain. Now, at 9pm, a clear sky. And so the storrn which began evening of 13th ends.

Mr. Rice tells me that when he was getting mud out of the little swamp at the foot of Brister's Hill, he heard a squeaking and found that he was digging near the nest of what he called a "field mouse" - by his description probably the meadow mouse. It was made of grass, etc., and, while he stood over it, the mother, not regarding him, came and carried off the young, one by one, in her mouth, being gone some time in each case before she returned, and finally she took the nest itself. (1855)

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