1893
June 4
(No 2)
Fairfield, Connecticut.
  Another marked feature of this region is the
abundance of the sassafras, which grows along the
borders of most of the fields & by the wayside &
attains a larger size than with us. The tupelo is
also abundant &[and] generally distributed in the swamps.
The tulip tree is not very common. There are
more scarlet oaks than in Massachusetts & more green briar.
On the whole, however, the country about Fairfield
is so very similar topographically and florally
to that about Boston that it is clear that
the presence of so many "Carolinian" forms in the
former region is due to climatic rather than
physical or floral conditions.
  The differences in the bird faunae of the two
regions is most striking. Nor does it consist alone
or chiefly in the presence or absence of certain
forms but very largely in the different relative abundance
of the same species. Thus Cat Birds, House Wrens,
Wood Pewees, Indigo Birds, Chipping Sparrows, Song
Sparrows, Yellow throated Vireos, White-eyed Vireos &
Chimney Swifts are very much more numerous in
the country about Fairfield than with us while
King Birds, Thrashers, Warbling Vireos, Red eyed Vireos
&[and] Red starts are apparently less numerous. The
number of Bluebirds, Field Sparrows, Grass Finches, Yellow
Warblers, Least Flycatchers, Bobolinks, and Baltimore
Orioles appeared to be about the same. There were
more Baltimore than Orchard Orioles but the latter
were common & generally distributed in the orchards.
Chats swarmed wherever there were briary thickets.