to the thrasher attitude toward these insects which are a favored though they avoid them in numbers. thrasher food. It just happened that Bb, a few minutes before, had caught one near me. In typical thrasher fashion, he immediately rejected it from his bill, following it up where it struggled on the ground, breaking it up slowly and deliberately before finally dispos- u ing of it. It is curios how the ability to distinguish between harmless and dangerous insects appears in these birds as soon as they leave the nest--as these notes record. I suppose B's behavior at the Robinsons' was connected with the rival heard there this morning and that it has something to do with definition of territory. Probably that area is the overlapping zone. 6:00 P.M. I suspected that B, after his exciting day, would be found resting in his retreat, and he is. What a marvellous concen- tration of energy he represents! August 27th. After opening up here with his early morning song Brownie again interested himself in affairs off to the south east for an hour or so, singing frequently. He also sang full song often during the rest of the day, both here and there. His last song was heard at a little after 6 P.M. Contact with the thrashers during the day were mostly with Bb, who seldom strays far from the focal point of the property and is appreciative of the personal benefits derivable from keeping posted on the movements of human beings. At times all four of "my" birds were accounted for simultaneous- ly. Bb seems to be at present the homebody of the group. August 28th. Not much early song. Brownie, for some reason, chose to confine his vocal efforts to the immediate vicinity of the oval lawn, where he sat four practically four hours, almost on the same perch, sing- ing sub-song continuously. He chose a clump of oleander, Fremontia,