OARLYLE, MASSACHUSETTS. 
1872 
/All 30 
Love Song 
of the 
Woodcock 
JTook the 2.30 train for Concord. Getting a team 
at the stable,, I met Jim M. at the 5 train, and we drove up 
to Mr. Robbins" in Carlyle, trying without success for 
Snipe at several points on the way. Mr. Robbins, a plain, 
sensible man, expressed surprise at my coming all the way 
from Boston to hear a Woodcock sing 11 and feared that I 
should be disappointed as a cold East wind made the night 
an unfavorable one for this performance". However, about 
fifteen minutes after sundown we started out, and in the 
cover 
first csv-g: we came to,old "Dodge" pointed and flushed a Wood¬ 
cock that rase with the usual whistle, though it was now 
quite dusky. Shortly after coming round the base of a hill, 
our guide suddenly exclaimed, "There's one at last". Lis¬ 
tening intently I heard a harsh cry, sounding at a distance 
very like the note of ChorJeJiles To'feiue, 
In a few moments we heard the whistling of wings as the 
bird rose, and the next instant I saw him dimly outlined 
against the Western sky, mounting straight up. Then he 
turned and, as he started downward, I lost him. But then 
began his song, an indescribable warbling mixture of liquid 
melodious sounds. As the song ceased and the bird dropped 
to the ground, I was almost beside myself with excitement 
and pleasure and listened breathlessly for another repetition. 
After hearing him go up several times, Mr. R. said that if 
