196 THE NATURALIST OF THE ST. CROIX 



I hope before this you have my letter written Monday. The 

 stage man I have not seen since Monday. I intended going to 

 Calais today but it is so rainy I may not go down. Let me know 

 which way you prefer going and I will make the best trade I can. 

 The air line man only asked $30, the Machias man f 35 but said he 

 would do it as low as any one. The air line would be one day 

 shortest, and a very nice, romantic ride through the woods, of 45 

 miles each day. The other way three days of 40 miles each day, 

 and the former air line way would see, I think, plenty of birds 

 to shoot, and I think the air line you would like best, but if you 

 prefer to go by way of Machias, I think I can get you taken 

 along at about the same price, $30, and might possibly get the air 

 line man to say $25; if the rain holds up will go down to see. 

 My cold is better but far from well. 



My brother and nephew I told you about up the river got 

 down last night; shot fifteen ducks, one bear, some partridges 

 and other game. I wish we had gone that cruise; they took 

 an Indian and a canoe, went up Chepetuicook river and back, say 

 the river was full of Ducks, Mergansers and Divers of one kind 

 and another all the way. 



Charles goes back to Brunswick tomorrow. I think he will 

 get this letter to you before the mail. 



I have just left off writing. A man has brought me a Gos- 

 hawk ; it flew into his barn after the hens and he killed it with a 

 club. They are our most destructive Hawk, and will take hens 

 from the doors of any country farm house. It is in young 

 plumage, the eyes yellow ; the old birds have red eyes. This 

 makes quite a variety of Hawks for a few days Red Shouldered, 

 Broad Winged, Cooper and Goshawk. 



1 notice what you say about your Pacific letters, should be 

 much pleased to read some of them. Why not send up by Capt. 

 Spring all you care to have me read. I will have them kept safe 

 until you come up, or return them next day, and should like very 

 much to read some of the letters from your Hudson Bay Co. 

 correspondent you was telling me about. There is no reading I 

 like so well. I should like to have you look over Prof. Hinds' 

 bird list for birds you think were never found in the province, or 

 lend me the list as I want to write the man to know how he came 



