1891.
Oct. 26
(No 2)
Concord, Massachusetts.
Concord & Carlisle. which it hid until the dog followed
and drove it out. I noticed that at the last rise 
it went of with its tail wide-spread like a fan,
an unusual thing for a Woodcock to do if I
am not mistaken.
[margin]Woodcock spreads its tail while flying[/margin]
   After eating lunch at the deserted house I beat 
the "Woodcock hole" and then started across country
for Braybrook's. As I was entering a pasture surrounded
by woods I discovered a large, ugly-looking bull
and turned back, none too soon, as it proved, for 
the beast, after giving a bellow or two, charged me. I
leaped over a wall and he followed through a
gap but I eluded him easily enough by plunging
into a bushy swamp. Keeping through this I
came to a small pond hole from which a Duck
of some kind rose. I did not see it but I heard
the flutter of its wings distinctly and on reaching 
the edge found the ripples caused by its spring
still rolling over the placid surface.
  In some alders near Braybrooks Don struck the
scent of a bevy of Quail but as it led to nothing
I soon decided that they had flown from t he
spot. I found a pile of their excrement among
huckleberry bushes where they had roosted recently.
The Braybrook covers proved barren so I went
to the wagon and drove back to Concord and
through the town to Hall's on the turnpike.
This ground, which I have not seen before for
years, has changed a good deal but much
of it is in superb condition for Woodcock.
The local growers say that these birds never