CORRESPONDENCE 241 



MiLLTOWN, 16 May, 1809. 

 Friend Wood : 



I have only-beeu home a few days and have been so bns}^ I 

 have had but little time to look after birds or eggs. I find after 

 ray long absence everything right at my house. The mills are 

 now sawing lumber so fast I find I shall be obliged to go west 

 again this week to be gone a couple of weeks. I wrote my folks 

 to be on the lookout for eggs, as I wanted a Broad-wing's nest for 

 you. On one of the hottest days, almost, you ever sajv, an ludian 

 came and said he had found the Broad-wing's nest, that he was 

 going up river next day and I must go that day, or lose it. I was 

 busy, the rain was a heavy one in which to ride five miles, then go 

 into a swamp I did not know how far — it was almost too much 

 for me. I would have sent the Indian back, but we have so many 

 hawks I wanted to see the bird so we started. We were in a good 

 covered carriage, had good rubbers and umbrellas. We rode as 

 far as we could go with the horse and then started on foot. Found 

 the tree in a thick swamp, after a long walk and were as wet as 

 drowned rats. The Indian started up the tree and away flew the 

 hawk. It was a Broad-winged. The gun, however, would not 

 go, so we lost the bird, and after all our trouble there was only 

 one egg. I concluded to take it as I do not think I could ever 

 find the place again, and an egg in the hand is as good as three in 

 the woods. So I hope you may get it in good oi'der and every 

 time you see it, remember what a wetting we got for one hawk's 

 egg. At any rate I shall not go egging again when it rains hard, 

 if I can help it. 



I don't think of any other eggs I have that you want and I 

 may take this one along with me and send it by express from Bos- 

 ton or New York. Baird told me he had sent you a lot of eggs. 

 Did he send you some good ones? He is coming down this way 

 again to spend his vacation with me with his wife and daughter. 

 He has, you know, a soft place in his heart that runs to birds and 

 eggs, but a softer one still that runs to old Indian shell heaps 

 and mounds and I suppose he will be into them all the time he is 

 here. I think I wrote you I did not see your friend Dr. Wilson. 

 He is doing well and is mayor of Darien. I saw Allen quite a 

 number of times in Florida, also young Maynard and several 

 other collectors. Yours very truly, 



Geo. a. Boardman. 



