1890 
Dec.12
Lexington, Massachusetts
the birds had evidently breakfasted. Their scent led
straight across the field and came to an end on
the further side. I afterwards found their tracks
made in the snow during the thaw, yesterday, on
an oak ridge near the field but did not succeed
in starting the bevy.
  Turning into the cover opposite the rope walk I
spent an hour or more beating it in different
directions. During this time "Don" found and 
pointed four Grouse. The first rose wild and
went off unshot at. I had an easy shot at 
the second as it rose from the edge of an
opening and killed it before it had gone ten yards.
The third flushed fully 40 yds. off and among thick
brush and my charge did no more harm than 
to splinter the tops of some of the birches. The
fourth bird lay very hard among or rather under
a bed of matted, prostrate grass in a little circular
opening surrounded on every side by the densest
possible cover. The dog pointed so staunchly that I
supposed he had found a bevy of Quail until I
stepped in ahead of him when the Partridge
burst up through the grass at my feet making
a prodigous* [prodigious] fluttering and getting under way
very slowly and clumsily. I had to shoot at 
within ten paces or lose the chance and my bird,
when I picked him up, proved to be badly
mangled, a great pity for he was a fine young
cock with an unusually red tail.
  While in this swamp I had a long shot 
at a Red-tailed Hawk which came scaling
past me within fifty yards. I could doubtless