64 



THE OOLOGIST 



trees scattered around the plantation. 

 Now and again during tlie days one 

 or two Ruby-tliroated Hummingbirds 

 would visit the flower beds around the 

 house, stay a few moments and sudden- 

 ly disappear in the deep woodland 

 nearby, where I had no doubt they had 

 a nest. 



Of the great raptorial tribe, of the 

 Hawk and Owl contingent of which I 

 have already spoken, there was but 

 one representative seen, the ignoble, 

 but none the less useful, Turkey Vul- 

 ture and he was not abundant. 1 had 

 hoped to find the Black Vulture but 

 none was there. 



Only one of the family of Vireod 

 was seen, the Red-eyed. In the woods 

 close by the house I found a nest con- 

 taining three eggs and saw evidences 

 of the abundance of this species in 

 this region. 



In a little dogwood tree standing in 

 the open plot between the house and 

 the office there was a Tanager's nesi 

 holding one egg, punctured in the side, 

 probably by a rascally Jay, and the 

 contents emptied. As both the scarlet 

 and Summer Tanagers were found 

 around the plantation and as the eggs 

 of the two species are often indis- 

 tinguishable I did not determine the 

 parentage of the nest. The birds had, 

 of course, deserted when the nest wao 

 pillaged. 



I saw but one Migrant Shrike. His 

 hunting ground lay around the apple 

 orchard and on the edge of the woods 

 nearby. 



Not much encouragement in the 

 way of nest boxes seems to have been 

 given the Purple Martins in this sec- 

 tion of Goochland County, so I saw 

 only an occasional bird straying 

 through the plantation. 



Wood Thrushes were noticeably 

 scarce and I was puzzled at this as 

 the country was ideal for them. Robins 

 were in evidence in fair abundance 

 and bluebirds were not infrequently 



seen. My wife had exa'mined a nest 

 of the latter containing four eggs on 

 June 5. 



Mockingbirds, Catbirds, and Brown 

 Thrashers were always in sight in the 

 vicinity of the house, each singing 

 merrily throughout the days. 



I saw several Tufted Titmice and 

 Carolina Chickadees and a pair of 

 White breasted Nuthatches were busy 

 in the nearby woods tutoring their al- 

 most grown young in the ways of the 

 avian world. 



The loud notes of the Carolina Wren 

 were often heard out in the hedges 

 and brush not far from the house, and 

 the little House Wren, more sociable 

 than the other, was always to be 

 found close by the house. Two or 

 three Yellow-billed Cuckoos, or Rain 

 Crows as they are locally known, were 

 heard and seen from time to time dur- 

 ing each day. 



The cooing of the Mourning Doves 

 was often heard in various parts of 

 the plantation and Bobwhites were 

 calling throughout the days from the 

 fields nearby. 



One Green Heron was seen in the 

 marsh some miles south of East Leake. 

 My visit was a complete success in 

 every way. Ornithologically it was a 

 treat as I had not before had an op- 

 portunity to become familiar with the 

 OOLOGIST— TEN 



birds of this section of Virginia and 

 the loud incessant cries of the numer- 

 ous Whippoorwills throughout the 

 nights were magic music to my ears, 

 long dull and sickened by the abomi- 

 nable noises inflicted upon me by the 

 thousands of automobiles in Washing 

 ton. 



Robert W. Williams, 

 Washington, D. C. 



MY FIRST OFFENSE 



Several years ago 1 began reading 

 The Oologist as 1 found it in bound 

 volumes in my father's library and for 



