Grouse shooting in Carlyle, Mass. [Carlisle, Massachusetts]
MASS. (Middlesex Co.) [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1875.
Dec. 3 [December 3, 1875] Clear, perfectly still, and cold ther. [thermometer)] 10 [degrees]-36 [degrees]-
24 [degrees]. A most superlatively lovely winter
day, one of the most perfect in fact that I 
ever remember spending in the woods
Rose early and with R.B. Nesbitt [Robert B. Nesbitt] took
the 7.10 L.R.R. [Lawrence Railroad] train for Concord &
arriving found Jim [James C. Melvin] waiting at the 
station. Set out all at once striking directly
N. and crossing the "red bridge" were
soon in the woods and at work.
Spent a most enjoyable day and had
fair sport putting up some 35
grouse altogether of which we killed
four. Two of these I shot, another
which Jim & myself fired at proved
upon dissection to have been hit by
both; and the fourth though fired at
by all three was pretty universally
conceded to have received its death
wound at the first shot which I fired.
The case of this bird is a good instance
of the grouse's tenacity of life at this
season : as it rose and flew across
me I fired both barrels & at the second
report it struck forcibly into a birch
top & came fluttering down nearly
to the ground, when recovering itself
it turned straight up to the height
of perhaps 100 yds and went off
over the woods apparently as well
as ever receiving as it passed over
their heads the four barrels of my
companions: by one of these (Nesbitt)
it was was seen to strike into a pine
tree at last 1/4 of a mile from the