Mountain Cottage, Whitefield, N.II. 
September 23, 1897 
Dear Will 
Just a line before the type-writer is packed to return 
to Cambridge once more. We leave here next Thursday in a special inva¬ 
lid car. This car, I understand, is on the road all the time, being 
lr«. 
engaged by different parties. It will^side-tracked here on Wednesday 
evening, and we can get my aunt comfortably settled in it before the 
train comes along and picks us up. There will be eight/us on board. 
Yesterday I drove over to Lancaster and spent a delightful after¬ 
noon with Mr.Spaulding. We went over some pastures and through a piece 
of very beautiful wood. After having a fine view of a Pileated Wood- 
pecher on the trunk of a large maple, where he stayed some time, we 
heard one hammering on a dead trunk near us. Crawling along like wild 
Indians, we at last got in sight of him some 20 feet off and about 20 
feet up the trunk of a large dead birch. With my glass I could see 
every detail with the greatest clearness, and finally we drew nearer and 
nearer till we were delighted to reach the very foot of the tree. The 
chips were flying in great style, and I saw the big fellow open his bill 
and utter his wild cries by rapidly opening and shutting his mandibles. 
We watched the bird for fully ten minutes ere he flew. By that time he 
had worked his way up to the top of the tree where he sat brushing his 
feathers and looking round. Mr.Spaulding said that I had a most unusu¬ 
al sight. Certainly I was pleased, for I very much feared that I should 
leave Whitefield without seeing the "Woodcock". 
- o y <r ^ 
Sincerely 
