He cooks, eats, and gets sick from a clam, and observes that birds of the shore belong to a wilder and less human nature than inland birds. Thoreau includes what becomes a standard in his later works, an elaborate catalog of all the plants and animals that he encountered, including their scientific classification names. Yields on the Cape and individual crops are small and puny, although the fruits taste sweet. Thoreau believes that the shores are far more fertile than the dry land, and is aware of the dangers of overtaxing the clam beds. Throughout this work, Thoreau describes his love for the dreariness of the shore, finding it sublime, lonely, and inspiring.
Farmers are fisherman-farmers, compared to Vikings for their courage and sea skill.
Throughout the book, Thoreau cites historical authorities whose opinions are always incorrect about the Cape. The one historical fact that is correct is the prevalence of shipwrecks. The Maine Woods is similar in many ways to Cape Cod . Like many natural historians, Thoreau describes humans when he is illustrating a natural setting. Thoreau finds some examples of positive human-Nature interactions as he travels through the forests of Maine.