84 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



flock summer ducks, then a still larger, of about 30 Hooded Mergan- 

 sers, shot 2 Hooded Mergansers, & green wing teal. Saw Marsh 

 Hawk, Pileated woodpeckers, 2 purple Grakles. Pike Pond with 

 thin ice. 22 Tuesday, very cold. Thermometer at 12 7 A M. Dam 

 Frozen over, skating. Creek nearly frozen. Saw many golden crested 

 wrens. Shot a curiously marked sparrow, No. (866), with the nape, 

 or back of the neck, consisting of a broad collar of pure white. 25. 

 Friday. Creek mostly frozen except below Middlesex. Saw Rusty 

 Blackbirds. Saw 3 Mallards in ist Bottom. Shot one which fell 

 on ice dead; could not get at it, so stripping, went in up to armpits, 

 with big club, with which broke the ice as I went, until I reached the 

 duck. It was cold enough but could not afford to lose the bird; at 

 first dam shot two Mergansers at a shot, and in 2nd Bottom found the 

 other two Mallards in flock of Mergansers; fired into them and killed 

 a Mallard and Merganser. Saw an English snipe along LeTort 

 spring. Obtained permission to shoot from old Ruhl, by gammoning 

 him about wanting to kill hawks which just now are troublesome 

 to him. Saw a Mallard among his ducks, but dared not shoot it 

 as he was near, and it was before I spoke to him. Uncle William 

 thought it a great sin to stuff the Mallards. To-day (28) went down 

 creek to ist Bottom, intensely cold. High wind & thermom. at 14 

 to 20 all day. Creek closed except at Middlesex. Saw 2 Doves 

 at M. Below Middlesex saw Mallard and Male Summer duck; also 

 a Pigeon Hawk. Fired at all of these at reasonable distances, but 

 fingers so cold as to damage my aim. Saw plenty of Golden crest 

 wrens with Black Cap tits. I am writing this in a great hurry as I 

 wish it to be in time for the mail. Send back the labels as soon as 

 you can, and I will then finish all my items of news. Yours &c 



SPENCER F BAIRD. 



Audubon raises the question again about his proposed 

 trip to the Yellowstone country in the following letter: 



From John J. Audubon to S. F. Baird. 



NEW YORK, Nov. 29, 1842. 

 MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND, 



It seems to me as if an age had already elapsed since I have news 

 of you or of your whereabouts. Neither do I know clearly whether 

 in the way of correspondence, you are in my debt, or I am in yours. 



