Thoreau writes in his journal:
The bay-wing sparrow apparently is not my seringo, after all . What is the seringo? I see some with clear, dirty-yellow breasts, but others, as to-day, with white breasts, dark-streaked. Both have the yellow over eye and the white line on crown . . .
Boston, Mass. Ticknor & Co. writes to Thoreau:
Our Mr. Fields who left by the steamer of the 7th for England took the proof sheets of Walden—In order to secure a copt in England the book must be published there as soon as here and at least 12 copies published and offered for sale. If Mr. F. succeeds in making a sale of the early sheets, it will doubtless be printed in London so as to cause very little delay here but if it be necessary to print and send out the copies it will delay us 3 or 4 weeks. Probably not more than three weeks. You will probably prefer to delay the publication that you may be sure of your cop’t in England.
Truly yours
W. D. Ticknor & Co.
[Fields never made the trip. He became so seasick on the way that he turned around in Halifax and came home (The Cost Books of Ticknor & Fields and their predecessors, 1832-1858, 289-90). See entry 2 July.]
