1149 Archie's reaction to freedom. Archie ran away from the cage when let out as if anxious to separate himself as far as possible from the scene of his unpleasant experience. Rhody, to my surprise, showed but slight interest, following A a few steps and then turning aside. Archie went down into the orchard where I found his attitude toward me unchanged from normal. First, however, it should have been noted above, that, during calm intervals in the cage, he permitted me, without holding him in any way, and without flinching, to wipe the blood off of his bill and medicate the wound. Later in the day Rhody saw me when Archie was with me, but could not see Archie. He came trotting toward me and suddenly saw Archie and halted abruptly. A was not much afraid of him, but moved off slowly a little distance, Rhody following quietly, but not trying to overtake him apparently. There was some changing of course and a little manoeuvring about, but no display, attack, or courting behavior. In this way they both eventually passed through the fence to the west and into the thick growth of the lot beyond my western fence. I had to leave about 5 P.M. and saw them no more this day. About 6 P.M. Julio saw Rhody, alone, sunning himself. I did not like to let Archie go under these conditions, but saw no satisfactory alternative. Rhody's reaction. A's attitude toward me. Rhody and A. A leaves place. T not hurt. Bearing on sexes. Terry displays for me. T a female? What is A? April 5th. (Notes written 9 P.M.). Archie has had his first night out all alone, but he is now in the old magpie cage again, thoroughly screened from Terry in the other. Terry, also, has had his day out in the world and is now safe in Archie's old bunk. This has been an eventful day in the local bird world. At 9 A.M., with misgivings, I peered over the western fence down into the lot. There was Archie 50 yards away, safe and presumably sound. When he caught sight of me, he rattle-boomed and puck-pucked, but showed no other enthusiasms. I reached him by a round-about route, necessarily. He came unhesitatingly for Locating A. He greets me. Terry, it should be noted, showed no injury whatever, confirming the one-sidedness of the affair. I could not see that he struck Archie at all. My thoughts were very much mixed as to what bearing the incident might have upon a determination of the sexes of the two birds. I arrived exactly nowhere, because, obviously it might have been two birds of the same sex--either male or female--showing natural antagonism during the mating season. On the other hand, it might have been a male pursuing a female and the latter becoming frightened as the result of injuries arising from the narrowness of the quarters' preventing freedom of action. Yet it might have been the exact reverse. (See Brownie's experience of 2(?) days' pursuit of him by Greenie(?)). (Somewhere in these notes!). Some light may have been thrown upon this phase of the matter by an incident with Terry after I had let Archie out. I went up to him and said: "I am going to spank you for making all this trouble." Accordingly I did, gently, of course. To my amazement, Terry at once crouched, spread his (her) wings, lifted his tail and became immovable! Never mind the pronoun! Whenever he showed signs of abandoning the posture, another touch restored it; or if he relaxed when I moved away, my reapproach brought it on again. This was all new to me. It irresistibly suggested a female inviting the attentions of a male, especially, I suppose, since I have always been biased in favor of Terry's being a female. If Terry is, what's Archie? Rhody did not appear to think he was a female. For that matter, neither did he chase him as if he were a male; so there you are. A brought back to cage.