1246 Rhody uses great care in killing a mouse, softly after recent ca.lessness. After this he followed rapidly to the shop for a mouse. A rather large one was given him. It was observed that he handled it with great care and, repeatedly, without dropping it or slapping it upon the ground, crushed its neck between his powerful mandibles. Usually a squeeze or two is all he gives. Perhaps he has some sort of realization of his recent careless disposition of mice and rats. Possibly he is tired of having them kick around inside and does not like internal orchestration, after all. August 20th. Mice again have preference over meat. Rhody's liking for mice has now completely returned, so that today he ate no meat at all and had his first mouse in the morning. Within three hours he was ready for another one. This time, when he followed to the shop, I had a little surprise for him--a live sparrow. He looked at it doubtfully and seemed somewhat timid. He would not take it, so I tossed it to him. The bird managed to get its wings in action just as it arrived an inch or two from Rhody's bill. This startled the road-runner so that he crouched and allowed the sparrow to continue onward over his head, but kept his place, waiting for me to get back into my "pattern" after this unexpected divergence from it. In this his judgment was sound, for naturally the next move was to justify his confidence. This mouse was apparently very thoroughly killed, but it raised the biggest disturbance inside yet seen. The bird made no attempt to disgorge it and bore the struggle stoically even when the kicking mouse began to ascend and appeared as a lump on the side of his neck just below his ear coverts. One swallow more and there was no lump. August 21st. Today Rhody ate both meat and mice, but mice were predominant in his diet. R and weather. It was dull all day, and this seemed to be reflected in his behavior, as he appeared sluggish and disinclined to move about. August 22nd. Brownie--no convention as yet? Brownie continues his habit of singing mostly during the early morning hours, thereafter remaining silent, or nearly so, the rest of the day. Unless the "Convention" has already been held so far away that no sound has reached here, there has been none. B's moult. He is still shabby, though much improved in appearance. Relaxation of territoriality. As a possible precursor of this phenomenon as observed in previous years--this afternoon when I was endeavoring to call Brownie to the oval lawn (he was away some place) another thrasher, probably only by chance, came to the feeding station. This bird was sleek and trim. I talked to it and tossed worms. Soon it was crossing the oval lawn to pick them up 6 or 8 feet from me. It was noticed that it had a slight "mane" and I am inclined to think that it was one of the 2nd brood of this year. Certainly it was not very wild. Rhody returns to form. Rhody returned to form, his sluggishness having departed; perhaps because of return of sunshine. Eats mice and meat. He had both mice and meat today. August 23rd. At 8:30 A.M. Rhody was out in the field to the south, catch-