198 VIRGINIA 



if it be on the wrong side of the account) 

 was the absence of the phoebe, — " almost 

 everywhere a common summer resident," 

 says Dr. Rives. Another unexpected thing 

 was the absence of the white-eyed vireo, — 

 also a " common summer resident," — for 

 which portions of the surrounding country 

 seemed to be admirably suited. I should 

 have thought, too, that Carolina wrens would 

 have been here, — a pair or two, at least. 

 As it was, Bewick seemed to have the field 

 mostly to himself, although a house wren 

 was singing on the morning of May 1, and I 

 have already mentioned a winter wren which 

 was seen on three or four occasions. He, 

 however, may be assumed to have taken his 

 departure northward (or southward) very 

 soon after my final sight of him. Thrashers 

 and catbirds are wrens, I know, — though I 

 doubt whether they know it, — but it has 

 not yet become natural for me to speak of 

 them under that designation. The mocking- 

 bird, another big wren, I did not find here, 

 nor had I supposed myself likely to do so. 

 Robins were common, I was glad to see, — 

 one pair were building a nest in the vines of 

 the hotel veranda, — and several pairs of 



