1891
May 31
(No 3)
Mass.
North Truro. - We stopped on the brink of one of the
deepest hollows and descended its bowl-like sides
to the bottom, which was filled with old pitch
pines growing thickly and arranging fully 20 ft
in height. It was here that Miller found the 
Red Crossbills breeding in 1889. We heard Chickadees
and a Pine Warbler singing. The place is locally
known as Hell's Bottom.
  A mile or more further on we came out on
the top of an elevated and nearly level but
slightly undulating plateau comprising hundreds
of acres of unfenced, barren land covered with
reindeer moss and Hudsonia ericoides, the latter
growing in large patches with the intervening spaces
sprinkled thickly with circular tufts or clumps.
This plant is of an olive green color. It was
just coming into bloom. The blossoms are of a 
rich golden yellow and are so crowded as to form
perfect masses of color. The outer buds open first
giving the smaller clumps the appearance of
brilliant yellow wreathes circling green centers.
These downs literally swarmed with Grass Finches.
They were continually rising ahead of the horse
and their plaintive songs were never out of our 
ears. There were also a very few Savanna Sparrows
but we heard no Yellow-wings although the
country, which, by the way is closely similar to
that of the Nantucket commons, seems admirably
suited to their requirements. It is or used to
be a famous ground for Golden Plover and
Eskimo Curlew.