he had been away someplace, perhaps searching, during all that time. In a half hour he was out of the cage picking up a twig to take to No.5, after showing it to the mirror. Up to 6:15 he did not come down at all and was there when I left. At 7 he was not there, nor at any of his regular roosts. During the morning hours I got motion pictures of him carrying material to the nest, showing it at the mirror, etc. Also, on one occasion when I put my hand out for support, I found it was about a foot from an alligator lizard about one foot long. This creature was offered to Rhody. He ate the tail, which broke off during my handling, but was not very interested in the rest of the animal, except when it ran away. Most of this action was too fast for me, though some of it I "got". I missed a splendid opportunity of getting a close-up of Rhody's head with crest and skin colors fully displayed, which would have filled a frame completely, as he was standing 2 feet from the camera lens looking quietly at the lizard in my hand. Unfortunately the camera was not on a tripod, so I had to hold it on my knee with one hand and the lizard in the other. I was helpless as to close-ups. May 8th. At 7:15 R was inspecting the magpies, following by taking one twig to the nest. I then left. At 8:15 he was again watching the magpies. He took a young rat from hand, displayed at the mirror, then took it up to 5-36, where I left him resting a few minutes later. For several days now, 5-36 seems to have occupied his attention to the exclusion of all other nests. (Unless he started a new one elsewhere during his afternoon's absence yesterday). It was on the 11th. of May last year that his fourth and final nest was found at Oakmore Highlands. The nest in which A and T were born. In that tract there were, last week, 19 new homes under construction. In the high field there, where I relocated Rhody after an absence of 8 days (p.998) there are now 8 or 10 new house where there were none at the time. Yesterday a house was started across the street from here. Nest 5 will be between 2 house under construction, about 80 or 100 yards (?) apart. While R will not mind this, the neighborhood as a whole is certainly less attractive to a wild road-runner this year than least. As a consequence, and considering the lateness of the season, the chances of Rhody's getting a mate, and especially bringing her here, look unfavorable. Another (?) road-runner. At 10:25 Rhody was under the nest tree, hesitating as to what to do next. I heard what I thought was a road runner rattle-boo sound softly as if coming from about 50 yards or so to the east. Rhody apparently agreed, for he cocked up his head and tail, looked in the direction from which I thought the sound had come, and responded softly. He gradually stole off in that direction repeating the call. I thought I could hear him and another, but on account of the undergrowth could see neither. I made a very wide detour via the streets to a point about 100 yards away to the east so that I could scan the vicinity from the outside, but saw nothing. When I returned at 10:40 Rhody was up in nest 5-36 again sitting quietly. It would quite in accord with precedent that, after having written the preceding paragraph, something should happen to nullify its context.