A day off, but home to roost. 7:07 P.M. The thrashers seem to have taken a vacation all day. I looked for them several times; but when I went out just now and turned a flash-light on Brownie's night roost, there he was . I did not look for his mate, except casually. I do not recall such a long absence as this during the time I have had the birds under observation, though the notes may show otherwise. A hawk (or hawks) has been seen several times today raiding the shrubbery at neighboring places, and it may be that the thrashers have been unwilling to cross the open while it was around. Duck talk was sprig- like. The duck-like theme used by B&G in notes of Jan. 14th. (P.559) appears to be nearest like that of the Sprig. The ducks are very tame on Lake Merritt in the winter and there was no difficulty in getting a mixed flock of widgeon, sprig and coots packed solidly at arm's length from me, scrambling for the corn offered. Some of the ducks of both kind called frequently, but it was hard to locate the individual. Their calls are entirely different. Feb. 4th. At 9 A.M. there were no signs of either thrasher about the place, and it looked as if yesterday's performance might be repeated. However, as I passed by the glade at 9:45, I heard a soft call behind me, and B&G stood under the bushes looking out at me solemnly. Both were very tame and friendly, also hungry for worms and talkative. After eating Greenie, who this time, had been the first to come to me, picked up a lot of soap-root fibre and carried it up to Sta. C in the old oak. B followed with twigs, an illogical procedure, showing that their nesting impulse perhaps is not yet coordinated and has suffered a relapse . Nesting impulse. Julio explains nesting complex. My Filipino boy, Julio, whose attitude towards these birds is even more anthropomorphic than mine, has advanced a new hypothesis to account for incidents like the foregoing. His present contention is that the birds think I will not give them worms unless they work, hence they are just fooling me! Perhaps he is right!