1193 R begins to report 9:30 A.M. Owing to preoccupation with Brownie and his affairs at mirror empty-handed. I gave little attention to Rhody and his. As a result he was not seen until 9 A.M. when he sailed down from the top of the cage, trotted to me and took worms from hand. Following this,he reported at the mirror, empty handed--a habit now increasing on him--for a second or two without display, thence to take a twig to nest 5-36. After this a visit to the magpies. As intimated, he now "reports" occasionally to the mirror for one or two seconds at a time, going out of his way to do so. There is no display of any kind; it is as if he just wanted to see if it was still there. On my return to this room Brownie followed me and called to me from a tree near the door--object worms. There can be no doubt of this bird's calling me at times. I have had abundant examples of it. Nova becomes vocal.again. Suggesting Bullock Oriole. R reconsider mice. R a singing butcher. After the first youngster left yesterday it was noticed that Nova began to sing at times. This morning it was still more noticeable. If I did not know it was Nova, it is possible that I would not recognise it as thrasher music at all. In timbre it suggests the Bullock oriole, though not in rhythm nor in phraseology. At 10 A.M. Rhody, presumably having cleared his pipes of accumulated mouse-hair as a result of several days' abstinence from mouse-meat, viewed the matter with renewed interest, took the proffered animal, treated it to the usual honors, including presentation at the mirror, thence to the nest, where he ate it with soft, sweet coos. Imagine a butcher, standing in a shambles, singing love-songs while he pole-axes a steer! A strange creature, Rhody. May 24th. Mice infavor with R again. Rhody has fully recovered his appetite for mice, twice today following me happily to the shop yard and waiting patiently until I secured a victim. Once he did not visit the mirror, otherwise the usual ritual was carried out and the mouse finally eaten in nest 5--36. Building material to mirror. He was seen to present building material at the mirror three times as a preliminary to placing it in the nest. B ignores old nest. Since 8:05 yesterday Brownie was not again seen at the ant-infested nest. Nova quits singing. Nova did not continue her song cycle, but Brownie took up B begins again, different style. where she left off, singing from the old oak frequently all day. All of the songs were short, perhaps 5 or 6 seconds in length, and at irregular intervals. They mostly repeated the same set of phrases over and over again--not usual with him, and were of peculiar, variable timbre (within any one song). It did not sound like Brownie and I had to verify the fact of his being the performer. Copulation at unusual period in cycle? About 5:30 P.M. Nova approached the base of the tree while he was singing, making inarticulate sounds, and Brownie suddenly dived down and performed the act of copulation. This was unexpected at this stage of the nesting cycle. Perhaps it means another brood to be reared and a nest already under way. May 25th. 10:05 A.M. B seems to have abandoned his spurt ofsong.