B teases G with worm. sky. He ate this one himself, but the next one he offered to G and as she reached for it, ran away; then back to offer it again and again retreating. He repeated this several times, approaching from it different directions each time, G reaching for hopefully, with wide open bill. At last he thrust it into her mouth and watched her eat it. I tossed a worm toward them; both ran for it. B reached it first, but stepped back to let his mate have it, as he made no further effort to get it. I tried it once more, with the same result. Clearly B wanted G to have it. This is not his usual attitude. B accepts offer of acorn. At 2:30 both came for worms and both went to the nest, B with lining. When B came down, I offered him an acorn. He took it and tried to open it, but could not. I got another one, while watched me, and split it open. He took this from my fingers and hammered it on the ground, stretching to his full height to get a full swing at it, driving it down into the ground. He ate the kernel with apparent rel- ish. It is strange that these birds will not make any effort what- ever to hold any object with their feet when they are trying to break it up. B had just had plenty of worms, so the acorn can not be con- sidered an emergency ration. (there are thousands if them on the ground) Feb. 23rd. Heavy rain at intervals during the morning, accompanied by strong S.E. wind. The thrashers stayed under cover while it rained. I placed a wind screen to protect the nest from the southerly winds; Brownie coming up to inspect the work several times and sit in the nest. Whenever he saw a loose fibre projecting above the rim, he tucked it down in . Occasionally he would stand up and look over the in- terior carefully. Nest completed? B sings. Once or twice a fibre or two was carried up, but no work of consequence was done during the day. Brownie sang phrases of full song several times, while I was working on the screen , sitting 15 or 20 feet away.