August 18, 1832

18 August: In the morning,M10Heavy rain. an excursion up along the Monocacy to get Quercus chincapin and discolor heterophylla, two beautiful species of oak growing here. Along the brook we found large tracts of common cattails (Typha)M11Typha latifolia. and several beautiful plants. Old oaks (Quercus alba, coccinea, tinctoria); tall walnut trees (Juglans nigra and alba); as well as sassafras,beeches (Fagus sylvestris americana), and many other trees. In the dense brushwood along the bank, the white-and-black tree creeper (Certhia varia Wils.) and the Muscicapa ruticilla crept; on the willow thickets, the Icterus phoeniceus, which we could not reach because of the swamp.M12The beautiful Lobelia siphilitica grows here. A family of hummingbirds whirred around the Asclepias and other plants; we bagged one of them. Farther on, along the wooded bends of the brook, we found several small herons (Ardea virescens), one of which we found dead; it had recently been wounded and had perished here. In the tall, airy oak forest, we saw the Baltimore [oriole] (Icterus baltimore), bagged several more young specimens of Trochilus colubris, and then returned in the rain to our dwelling. When we arrived we found much to do, for neighboring farmers had supplied us with all kinds of animals, including a hare (Lepus americanus) and the so-called woodchuck, or groundhog (Arctomys monax Linn.). I was told that the nets placed in the Lecha last evening had caught 180 eels, and so many again this morning that in both hauls there were 300 altogether. There are said to be two varieties of eels here, a large one and a smaller one. Rain during the afternoon and evening.

Date: 
Saturday, August 18, 1832
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Spires
Ben Budesheim