Insects on the water.

May 29.

P. M. — To Cedar Swamp by Assabet. 

The white maple keys have begun to fall and float down the stream like the wings of great insects. 

Dandelions and mouse-ear down have been blowing for some time and are seen on water. These are interesting as methinks the first of the class of downy seeds which are more common in the fall. 

There are myriads of shad-flies fluttering over the dark and still water under the hill, one every yard or two, continually descending, almost falling, to the surface of the water as if to drink and then rising again, again to fall upon it, and so on. I see the same one fall and rise five or six feet thus four or five times; and now comes along a large dragon-fly and snatches one. Other smaller insects, light-colored, are fluttering low close to the water, and in some places are swarms of small black moths.

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, May 29, 1854

Today's entry includes an extended comment on the fugitive slave trial, in Boston, of Anthony Burns. This material and more from June 9, 1854, toned down, would be worked into HDT's "Slavery in Massachusetts." ("These days it is left to one Mr. Loring to say whether a citizen of Massachusetts is a slave or not. ... Why, the United States Government never performed an act of justice in its life!...Rather than thus consent to establish hell upon earth, — to be a party to this establishment, — I would touch a match to blow up earth and hell together." ) ~ Zphx.

See Thoreau Transforms His Journal into “Slavery in Massachusetts”


The white maple keys have begun to fall and float down the stream like the wings of great insects. See May 21, 1853 ("The white maple keys are nearly two inches long by a half-inch wide, in pairs, with waved inner edges like green moths ready to bear off their seeds.");  May 30, 1853 ("The white maple keys falling and covering the river."); June 2, 1855 ("From that cocoon of the Attacus cecropia which I found. . . came out this forenoon a splendid moth. "); June 6, 1855 ("The white maple keys are about half fallen. It is remarkable that this happens at the time the emperor moth (cecropia) comes out.”); June 9, 1858 ("White maple keys are abundantly floating.”)