Ill 



LIFE AT CARLISLE 



BEING now twenty-one years of age and subject to 

 enrollment, Baird was called on May 6, 1844, and 

 answered to his name at the annual registration of 

 the militia. 



From Spencer F. Baird to William M. Baird. 



CARLISLE, May 5 1844 

 DEAR WILL, 



As it is against my principles to write letters on Sunday, I will 

 merely give you a general idea of what I have been doing since you 

 left. I have procured no novelties, except a Whipporwill which I 

 shot in Brown's woods, & a White crowned Sparrow. If the quality 

 has been deficient, not so the quantity, having stuffed 57 birds; 

 and had it not been for a succession of visitors last night, the number 

 would have been at least sixty. Among them were five tanagers, 

 6 or 8 orioles, some Jays, red heads, & I hardly remember what all. 

 I got the raven which old Leibler had, from him a few days ago. 

 It is badly mounted, though sound; shot near town some time ago. 



The "doctor" 1 is well, & has got into the way of feeding himself. 

 He touches nothing but birds with feathers on, steadily rejecting all 

 skinned ones. 



I hope you have the Vieillot 2 in your possession, & will bring it 

 with you. If you could not see Dr. Morris last week, could you not 

 do it on your return? Write soon & tell me about it. 



Yours affectionately, 



S. F. BAIRD 



1 A pet owl, taken from the nest in nearby woods. 



2 Vieillot's Oiseaux de 1'Amerique, in two volumes, folio, which 

 he had arranged with Dr. J. G. Morris of Baltimore to accept in 

 return for a series of 100 birdskins. 



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