bird I have ever seen. From the tip of his bill to the tip of tail and toes, back, sides, crest, skin-patch, everything, he was covered with dust so completely that he was an almost uniform dun color. His meek appearance seemed to imply a consciousness of his temporary lack of pulchritude. When I invited him to the shop he followed part-way only, evidently not very hungry. However I took a young rat to him. He merely looked upon it as one of the commonplace phenomena of nature and not worthy of special attention. A very small mouse, just able to walk, was offered next; he did not really want it, but, as an accommodation to me, he condescended to eat it. Despite its insignificant bulk it would not go down easily and required repeated swallowing efforts to keep it down when once it had ar- rived at its final destination. Rhody must have filled himself all the way to his gills earlier in the afternoon. (The mouse was "mouse-color"; the rat was white). After this Rhody had to lie on the ground for a long rest. I talked to him and he got drowsy and drowsier; his lower lids crept slowly upward; his muscles relaxed; his head drooped, but each time this occurred, he recovered and looked around, occasion- ally glancing up at me with narrowed eyes in dreamy, speculative fashion. I left him there by the west fence, whither he had gone en route to his sleeping place. The habit of the road-runner in seeking a roosting place exposed to the last rays of the sun, seems to have been acquired in a very logical and natural way. As the shadows lengthen and the air cools, the bird moves into the sun. It follows the sun. What is more natural than for it to climb a tree and get its last beams while disposing itself for the night? Especially in the cooler portions of its range near the sea. It has been repeatedly recorded in these notes that Rhody and his tribe use the "open bowl" pose in sunning when the air is cool and the "spread-eagle" when the air is warm and the sun hot. The second pose is used under conditions where the bird normally seeks shade. While he often preens after either pose, the flat pose is often followed by savage scratching of the neck and head with the feet as if the intense light and heat had driven vermin from the relatively exposed back (where Rhody can not scratch) to portions of his anatomy more accessible. However, I have never detected parasites (except one of "the" flies) on any of the road- runners. If this is one of the reasons for sunning it parallels what I have supposed to be the case with thrashers. July 16th. Much early song by Brownie. When he had finished after an hour or so I saw him on the lawn below from my bath-room window. He readily responded to call, climbed a convenient tree and hopped over to sit on my hand and dig worms out of the tin box. He doesn't care how much, how little or what I have or have not on. Rhody, about 9 A.M., wanted nothing from me, but, at about 1 P.M., thought otherwise and came running at unusual speed, following me [illegible] into the shop. (This time all rats and mice were outside in the yard). He seemed puzzled at my not of- ering him something and looked significantly at the movements of my hands. I crowded past him and fished out a young, white rat. He was disappointed and went and stood in front of the mouse place.