CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH 87 
I have not done much since I wrote last, having been out but 
twice I believe. I shot three more Lesser Redpolls in the same place 
as the first, last week. One of them was in Beautiful plumage, the 
neck, & breast being a delicate Carmine. The rump also in a less 
degree. I am much obliged to you for the money you sent me; 
but am sorry that you think that I have been extravagant or waste- 
ful. Ithink that I may say truly that I have not wasted five loads in 
the last three months. Having to depend entirely on the kindness 
of others for this source of amusement I have been careful, to employ 
my means to the best advantage. I have stuffed every bird I shot 
except those which were torn too much to allow of this. I have 
stuffed upwards of one hundred since you left. The cotton has been 
a considerable item in the sum total, as I find that by making hard 
and tight bodies, that the ducks especially, as well as all birds, have 
a much better finish. 
I obtained a very fine hawk from Johnson Moore the other day. 
It went into a chicken coop of his after a snow some time ago, and 
the snow drifting against the door, shut it up. It killed two chickens 
in the coop, when the old hens got at it and pinned it down on its 
back, till some one came & caught it. It is rather wild but is getting 
tamer. I have it in a cage on the Balcony. It is very like the one 
you shot at the creek last September and is very Blue above & very 
closely marked with the reddish bars & stripes beneath, & is about 
16 or 17 inches long. Uncle William says he saw one like it in the 
Washington Market which the man offered for a quarter & said it 
was good eating. Was it like it? I have a very good skin of a 
wildcat caught 10 days ago at the South Mountain, which if you 
think good, I will send to the Patent office. Itis small, but has all 
the markings. 
It is probable that I will have to go to Reading the end of this, 
or the beginning of next week, to see about Mother’s business there. 
As it will be but two or three dollars more I think that, if I can get 
any money then, that I will come home by Philadelphia. If so I 
will be able to get some good birds from some of those fellows 
in Phila. Answer this letter if you can soon, so that I may get it 
before I leave. 
Your affectionate Brother 
Spencer F. Barren. 
