Boston to Lake Umbagog.
1896
August 8
  Clear, still and very warm (ther. 90 [degrees] at Poplar Tavern at
2 P.M.)
  I left Boston yesterday at 9 A.M. and spent the
night at Bethel where, at sunset, a Robin was singing
rather freely near the hotel and a large number of Swifts
careening about over the elms evidently assembling to roost
but just when they spent the night I was unable
to discover.
  At daybreak this morning I heard Robins, Song Sparrows,
a Wood Pewee, a Red-eyed Vireo and a Goldfinch singing,
and later saw a brood of young Least Flycatchers.
[margin]Birds at
Bethel[/margin]
  Calling on Dr. Gehring I found that he was much interested
in our native plants and shrubs and had a large &
very attractive wild garden. He had Clethra in bloom but 
he tells me that it is not found wild near Bethel.
  At noon I started for the Lake by stage with Mr. Gill
as driver. The heat was so intense that we traveled
very slowly at first but after we had passed the
Notch the sun was so low behind the western 
mountains as to trouble us no longer and in the
woods the air was positively cool as well as laden with
delicious odors.
  The roadsides all along the way were gay with all
sorts of midsummer wild flowers - Eupatorium, Fire weed,
Golden rod, Hardhack & a few of the earlier Asters.
It seemed to me that these & other flowers are here
finer than in Massachusetts. The Fire weed is certainly finer.
[margin]Status of
vegetation[/margin]
  Birds were not numerous as to either species or individuals
& I saw nothing of any peculiar interest. Blanchard
who came out at Brooks' to meet the stage tells me that a
pair of "black" Eagles have nested this season at the old eyre on
the [?] just north of Grafton Notch.
[margin]Golden
Eagles nest
in Grafton N[/margin]