CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH 83 
The brothers were busy on a proposed list of the birds 
of Cumberland County and were cataloguing their collec- 
tion, which is referred to in the letter following: 
Spencer F. Baird to William M. Baird. 
Die War. CaruisLe, Nov. 28, 1842 
I send you the list of Birds up to this date. The lot sent you 
before numbered to 835. From this number to 847, I wrote myself 
in order to bring all up to November. I hope to reach No. goo by 
the end of the year at least. 
I received your last, on Friday ult, after having returned late 
from shooting, and had barely time to give Aunt Mary the skins 
you spoke of she starting on Saturday Morning at 4 AM. I gave 
her, The Lesser Red Poll shot here, and one of those brought from 
New York. Also, Male & Female of the Largest,—Big Spotted Hairy 
Woodpecker, and Male of Small, little Spotted Hairy Do. Investi- 
gate whether the Red poll, may not be a Larger? I can see no differ- 
ence in the descriptions of the two species except 34 an inch in size. 
As to the Woodpeckers. There is more difference between the two 
Males I send you, than many of Audubon’s Species. . . . I 
will now proceed to give the ornithological news. 
Saturday 12. stuffed two Woodcock which Will Penrose shot 
in cornfield towards creek. They were very fat. Monday 14. Shot 
Barred Owl & 2 Butter Balls: of these last one was an old Male, 
but though it was on the other side of the creek from me, the upper 
mandible was entirely shot away—as if two or three pellets had 
gone together. 
15. Tuesday. Saw 8 Butter Balls, of which shot two, 20 Shel- 
drakes & 6 whifflers. Saw a Long Eared owl; but could not get near 
enough to shoot: Dan Biddle passed through on his way to Pittsburg. 
16. A little snow. 17. Thursday. Saw two superb Bald Eagles at 
Pike pond. 18. Friday Shot a winter Hawk in very much the same 
plumage as the one shot by George Gibson & Will Penrose. 19. 
Saturday. Saw great many ducks. A large flock of Mallards, Black 
ducks, Whiffles, Butter balls, Mergansers, Summer ducks, and per- 
haps several other species in the pond at the dam. Then a flock of 
Green Wing teal, then what appeared to be 20 Ruddy ducks, then large 
