1196 Rhody watches rats without designs on them. Rhody cutting capers. More capers by Rhody. Rhody attempts too large a mouse. R's mating instinct wan- ing? B and brood stay away. B in fine early song. B bringing brood back? B pathetically eager for worms B's uncertainty of move- ment in twi- light. Talkative. his own initiative in order to watch the rats and, at the same time to satisfy his curiosity about the other things there. Once he was observed standing upon the rat cage watching them but not offering to molest them. When one of them sniffed at his feet he merely lifted and spread his wings and peered down at him. He is now beginning to renew his trick of dashing through the bushes in loops, circles and figures of eight, with spread wings and exaggerated postures. He is interested in other birds; follows then but does not attack them. June 2nd. At 9 A.M. Rhody was having a lot of fun in the west lot going through his ridiculous evolutions in an area along the south side where the bushes are scattered, with open spaces between. This time he pulled branches off of the bushes, picked up loose objects and carried them with him in his flight, dropped them for others and made short dashes in the direction of wrens, wrentits and Nuttall sparrows that were interested in his gymnastics; but he always stopped short of them. All of this was accompanied by beak rattlings and soft boos. During resting periods he came to the bank near me, but wanted no worms and apparently did not even look at me ten feet away. Finally he left to return here and I went on an errand. Returning at noon, I found him ready for mice again. I gave him a very large one. He killed it at once, made no display, tried manfully to swallow it, but had to give up and disgorge it. A young rat was substituted with better success, but here was no dis- play of any kind. This last episode, together with his renewed clowning and car- ying of the two twigs to the pine tree, made me wonder if his reproductive urge might be on the wane, since his actions appear now to be somewhat less directly concentrated upon his nest-- more diffuse and random. However, just now (2 P.M.) after a session with the magpies (who almost completely ignore his antics) he gathered a large sheaf of pine needles inside the cage and carried them to 5--36. Brownie and tribe continue to remain away from the premises, but can be heard at times in the west lot. June 3rd. At about 6 A.M. Brownie perched on the roof near my bed-room window and sang beautifully using many of his old-time phrases that I have not heard for several (?) months. This notwithstanding a fairly heavy, unreasonable rain was falling. Neither he nor his brood was seen on the premises later in the day until about 7:30 P.M. (Sunset 7:26). At that time I heard him in a very unusual place for him: in the oaks near the west living- room window. I went out to investigate. He had one or more of his brood there and was pathetically eager for worms to give them. I could not tell how many he was feeding; the youngsters (if more than one) were moving about from place to place seeking roosts, and B, in consequence, was in and out of various trees. It was noted that his own movements were not nearly so certain as in broad daylight, both in the trees and in alighting upon my hand from the branches above. Twice he made as if to land upon my head, showing since he never does this, uncertainty of making a good landing on a smaller object; but each time he banked and went to my hand. He was unusually talkative while getting the worms, sounding much