1879
Carlisle, Mass.
  The Song of the Woodcock
April 8  Mr. Robbins having notified 
us that the Woodcock were in full
song at Carlisle, Jim & I determined
to make a trip thither for the purpose
of hearing them once more. We according-
ly selected this evening which bid fair
to be a good one for the purpose.
Driving up from Concord we arrived
at Mr. Robbins a little before sunset.
A Woodcock, we found, had for several
evenings past sung directly behind the
house, rising first from a bushy run
where I examined a nest in 187[?] and
afterwards lighting in the open field that
adjoined the house. When the sun 
had fairly set and as the twilight was
beginning to descend, Arthur Robbins
came in to tell us that the Woodcock
had already begun to bleat. We
accordingly went out and soon
enough at intervals of a half minute
or so the Nighthawk like cry came
up from the depth of the hollows in
1879
Carlisle, Mass.
  The Song of the Woodcock
April 8. the run. Before the
first flight upward began we took
our position on the stone wall that
separated the field from bushy hollow,
and we afterwards found that we
could not have been better posted
for at the close of his song our long-
billed friend lit within twenty paces
of us and we had an excellent
opportunity to observe all his motions
as he sat on the close-cropped and
withered yellowish turf. He repeated
his serenade some six or eight
times, when it became so dark that
he ceased altogether for that night.
Once he lit within twelve feet of
us and went thro' [through] all his curious
notes and motions without appar-
ently regarding my presence in the
least. 
  As I have already published some
very full notes on this curious
love song it will not be necessary,