III 
LIFE AT CARLISLE 
EING now twenty-one years of age and subject to 
enrollment, Baird was called on May 6, 1844, and 
answered to his name at the annual registration of 
the militia. 
From Spencer F. Baird to William M. Baird. 
Car.istE, May 5 1844 
Dear WILL, 
As it is against my principles to write letters on Sunday, I will 
merely give you a general idea of what I have been doing since you 
left. I have procured no novelties, except a Whipporwill which I 
shot in Brown’s woods, & a White crowned Sparrow. If the quality 
has been deficient, not so the quantity, having stuffed 51 birds; 
and had it not been for a succession of visitors last night, the number 
would have been at least sixty. Among them were five tanagers, 
6 or 8 orioles, some Jays, red heads, & I hardly remember what all. 
I got the raven which old Leibler had, from him a few days ago. 
It is badly mounted, though sound; shot near town some time ago. 
The “doctor” is well, & has got into the way of feeding himself. 
He touches nothing but birds with feathers on, steadily rejecting all 
skinned ones. 
I hope you have the Vieillot? in your possession, & will bring it 
with you. If you could not see Dr. Morris last week, could you not 
do it on your return? Write soon & tell me about it. 
Yours affectionately, 
S. F. Barrp 
1A pet owl, taken from the nest in nearby woods. 
2 Vieillot’s Oiseaux de l’Amérique, in two volumes, folio, which 
he had arranged with Dr. J. G. Morris of Baltimore to accept in 
return for a series of 100 birdskins. 
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