Nest of the Woodcock
1875 Middlesex Co., Mass. [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
Apr. 24 [April 24, 1875]
Clear warm and pleasant with S.W. [southwest]
wind. Off after breakfast in my buggy
taking "Shot" as I intended to try to 
find a woodcock nest in the Warren 
run where I saw abundant signs
of the birds yesterday. Tying my 
horse in the usual place I struck
down into the sun and ranging
"Shot" for a short distance be found
and pointed one of the birds which
by its size I concluded was the [male].
After flushing it & making sure that
it had not risen from the nest I 
let the setter out again and he 
soon came down on his point most
handsomely, absolutely refusing 
to move on. Being quite sure
this time of the nest I scanned
the ground in all directions for the
sitting bird but in vain - nothing
in sight but the universal woodland
carpet of dry leaves & many tinted
mosses, and antiopa butterflies playing 
about in the sunshine. Taking another 
step towards the immovable and 
statuesque setter I placed my hand
for support on a small birch sapling 
when with dangling legs and a 
scarcely audible flutter a large cock
sprang at my very feet, and rising
straight up among the birches, whis-
tled off in the customary manner.
Looking down at the spot where
he had lain there were the eggs, four
in number now conspicuous enough