208 HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. 



drove away it was with a feeling of wonder and in- 

 creased admiration for this sociable and skilled musician. 



At Alden we spent a day very pleasantly botanizing 

 in the vicinity, with Dr. Wende, who occasionally takes 

 a day from his extensive practice to reinvigorate him- 

 self in the pursuit of his favorite study. On this occa- 

 sion we found many things of interest among the birds 

 and plants — among the latter, the beautiful ( Calopogon 

 pulchellus ). We found two nests of brown thrashers, 

 both with young birds, and two or three plovers' nests. 



As we passed through the Crittenden woods, on our 

 journey early the next morning, we stopped awhile to 

 hear the wood thrushes, which sing here from April to 

 August. The road from Corfu to the " Brick House, " 

 thence to Pembroke, is a delightful one, and the farm- 

 ers we met along the way were pleasant and courteous. 

 Several were at work on the road, and each had a pleas- 

 ant word of salutation. One remarked that " they were 

 mending their ways, " another that " we must be char- 

 itable towards their highways, as they would be better 

 on our return." It is a pleasant custom on the road to 

 exchange the time of day, or to give a friendly saluta- 

 tion by word or gesture. It costs nothing, and speaks 

 much. It is a species of friendly culture not to be over- 

 looked, and the man who gives it has at least one mark 

 of a gentleman, good nature, while the one who re- 

 fuses to return it, is either a boor or a bear. One man 

 alone forgot for a moment his amiability. We were on 

 a cross-road and wished to strike the Buffalo and 

 Batavia turnpike a few miles from the latter place. To 



