27 June 1859 – 3 July 1859

I find that the tops of my stakes in Moore’s Swamp are nearly two feet lower than a fortnight ago, or when Garfield began to fill it. P. M. — To Walden. At the further Brister’s Spring, under the pine, I find an Attacus luna, half hidden under a skunk-cab- bage leaf, with its back to the ground and motionless, on the edge of the swamp. The under side is a particularly pale hoary green. It is somewhat greener above with a slightly purplish brown border on the front edge of its front wings, and a brown, yellow, and whitish eye-spot in the middle of each wing. It is very sluggish and al- lows me to turn it over and cover it up with another leaf, — sleeping till the night come. It has more rela- tion to the moon by its pale hoary-green color and its sluggishness by day than by the form of its tail. A frail creature, rarely met with, though not uncommon.

P. M. — To Walden. Very hot. The piper grass bloom in prime. Examined the flying squirrel’s nest at the base of a small white [oak] or two (sprouts), four inches through, in a small old white oak stump, half open above, just below the level of the ground, composed of quite a mass of old withered oak leaves and a few fresh green ones, and the inside wholly of fine, dry sedge and sedge-like bark- fibres. ‘The upper side of the nest was half visible from above. It was eight or nine inches across. In it I found the wing of an Aitacus luna, —and July 1st another wing near Second Division, which makes three between June 27th and July 1st. At the railroad spring in Howard’s meadow, I see two chestnut-sided warblers hopping and chipping as if they had a nest, within six feet of me, a long time. No doubt they are breeding near. Yellow crown with a fine dark longitudinal line, reddish-chestnut sides, black tri- angle on side of head, white beneath. River falls several inches.

Cooler, with a northerly wind. The pads blown up by it already show crimson, it is so strong, but this not a fall phenomenon yet.

P. M. — To Second Division Brook. Have heard the peculiar peep of young tailless golden robins for a day or more. White water ranunculus in full bloom at least a week, in Second Division Brook, near the dam, in the shade of the bank, a clear day. Its leaves and stems waving in the brook are interesting, — much cut and green. The Holcus lanatus, past prime, near J. P. Brown’s little meadow beyond end of his moraine; also grows near southwest end of Hubbard’s Grove. Agrostis, either vulgaris or alba (or both), now generally coming into bloom in fields both moist and dry, but I should say with considerable ligules and rather roughish sheaths.

P. M. — To Stow’s chestnut and Thaspium aureum. Vetch, morning-glory, Andromeda ligustrina, how long? Waded out thirteen rods from rock in Flint’s Pond, and was only up to my middle. Mitchella repens is abundantly out. Pyrola elliptica out. Cladium not quite.

P. M. — To Hubbard’s Grove. You see in rich moist mowing the yet slender, re- curving unexpanded panicles or heads of the red-top (? ), mixed with the upright, ngid herd’s-grass. Much of it is out in dry places. Glyceria fluitans is very abundant in Depot Field Brook. Hypericum ellipticum out. I noticed the other day, I think the 30th, a large patch of Agrostis scabra in E. Hosmer’s meadow, — the firmer ridges, — a very interesting purple with its fine waving top, mixed with blue-eyed grass. The Mitchella repens, so abundant now in the north- west part of Hubbard’s Grove, emits a strong astringent cherry-like scent as I walk over it, now that it is so abundantly in bloom, which is agreeable to me, — spot- ting the ground with its downy-looking white flowers. Eleocharis obtusa and acicularis are now apparently in prime at water’s edge by Hubbard’s Grove bridge path. Also Juncus bufonius is very abundant in path there, fresh quite, though some shows seed. Juncus tenuis, though quite fresh, is also as much gone to seed.