Middlesex Co., Mass. [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1874.
Oct. 30 [October 30, 1874] before. This time I was fortunate enough
to secure it. It sat erect like all the
owls and looked much larger than it
in reality was indeed I at first
mistook it for Scops Asio [Megascops asio]. Its flight
was slow, flickering and apparently
feeble and in neither instance did
it go more than 20 yds. Upon
dissection I found its body cased in
fat. The stomach contained the remains
of a large mouse, I think Arvicola.
Here we also flushed a bevy of about
15 quail with C.'s [Charlie Carter] dog found but
they took to such bad cover that we
gave them up without bagging a 
bird though C. fired six shots & I two.
While eating lunch a very brave
Collurio borealis lit on an apple tree
near us and I fired at it without
success. During the afternoon we
hunted hard without any finds
until just at dusk when Shot
came to a fine point on a woodcock
Capt. backing him a short distance off.
Calling C. up the bird a very large one
rose and giving it three barrels we
distinctly saw it fall in some alders
within 25 yds of where we stood. Upon
putting in the dogs they could find
nothing but after several minutes search
Shot commenced roading a strong
scent which he followed 30 yds or
more out into a meadow. Keeping
well up with him I was much
surprised to see the bird rise as strong