20 August 1855 – 26 August 1855

1 hear of some young barn swallows in the nest still in R. Rice’s barn, Sudbury.

Scare up a pack of grouse.

In Dennis’s field this side the river, I count about one hundred and fifty cowbirds about eight cows, running before their noses and in odd positions, awkwardly walking with a straddle, often their heads down and tails up a long time at once, occasionally flying to keep up with a cow, over the heads of the others, and following off after a single cow. They keep close to the cow’s head and feet, and she does not mind them; but when all went off in a whirring (rippling ?) flock at my approach, the cow (about whom they were all gathered) looked off after them for some time, as if she felt deserted.