NIGHTHAWK 209 



June 2, 1858. 1 The chewink sang before night, and 

 this, as I have before observed, is a very common bird 

 on mountain-tops. 2 It 'seems to love a cool atmosphere, 

 and sometimes lingers quite late with us. And the wood 

 thrush, 3 indefinitely far or near, a little more distant 

 and unseen, as great poets are. Early in the evening 

 the nighthawks were heard to spark * and boom over 

 these bare gray rocks, and such was our serenade at 

 first as we lay on our spruce bed. We were left alone 

 with the nighthawks. These withdrawn bare rocks must 

 be a very suitable place for them to lay their eggs, and 

 their dry and unmusical, yet supramundane and spirit- 

 like, voices and sounds gave fit expression to this rocky 

 mountain solitude. It struck the very key-note of the 

 stern, gray, barren solitude. It was a thrumming of the 

 mountain's rocky chords ; strains from the music of 

 Chaos, such as were heard when the earth was rent 

 and these rocks heaved up. Thus they went sparking 

 and booming, while we were courting the first access of 

 sleep, and I could imagine their dainty limping flight, 

 circling over the kindred rock, with a spot of white, 

 quartz in their wings. No sound ^ould be more in 

 harmony with that scenery. Though common below, it 

 seemed peculiarly proper here. 



1 [In camp near the summit of Mt. Monadnock.] 



2 [This is true only of the lower summits in the latitude of New Eng- 

 land. In "A Walk to Wachusett" he speaks of hearing the bird on or 

 near the top of that mountain.] 



8 [Probably either the hermit thrush or the olive-backed thrush. See 

 note on p. 377.] 



4 [Thoreau's word for the nighthawk's note, which to most persons 

 sounds like speak or peent.] 



