1248 It was only about 2 feet and he returned instantly, but the instinct of self preservation was not asleep. He had to have time to satisfy himself that the movement was not hostile. This nervousness does not necessarily imply fear of me as a man. He will do the same thing with anything that moves suddenly or unexpectedly: any insect, bird or animal or even inanimate object in sudden motion, brings about this reaction. Even his own offspring. His recovery is usually a matter of seconds or even fractions, but his senses must assure him that no overt act is impending. He has learned from personal experience that he can not get through the wire fence or the wire netting of the cage. It would seem that there has been a certain amount of something closely akin to reasoning on his part by which he has established to his own satisfaction that an obstacle which is an impenetrable barrier to him is equally effective in keeping other animals from getting at him. The wire works both ways. (He has not learned that man has 'tools' that enable him to disprove the correctness of the road- runner's 'deductions'). Rhody's behavior indicates that he knows (or thinks he knows) that I can not go through the wire. How does he know? He has never seen me try it. Assuredly the impenetrability of wire fences to man is no part of the racial inheritance of road-runners. (As a matter of fact his "deductions" as to the cage are wrong; because I can get through the wire fabric easily with or without tools!) Rhody next discovered a small brown moth on a twig. He ad- vanced on it cautiously, now and then "shrugging" his wings. He made no final rush, but picked it off as casually as one would a tomato. This did not satisfy his dramatic and sporting instincts(?) so he carried it to an open space and there released it deliberat- ely. It fluttered along the ground and he followed. When it stop- ped fluttering he picked it up and started it off again. This was repeated several times. When the procession reached my feet and the moth stopped, Rhody gobbled it without further ado. (This looks like play--but I believe animals are not supposed to play-- man's definitions do not permit it! It would trespass upon his self-allocated domain. But it will be all right if we coin a new word for it which means exactly the same thing, but we must not admit it. Unfortunately I do not know this word, so can not insert it here). Rhody next sought his favored day-roost, still in that acacia. At 11 A.M. he was still there. Sometime about noon two women and a little child chose a spot about 20 feet away from this tree, on the other side of the fence, in which to spread a rug and make themselves comfortable for the rest of the afternoon. As a consequence Rhody avoided the vicinity of the tree altogether. There is nothing that alarms him more than the sounds made by a young child. Next to that: the voices of women, i.e. certain kinds of voices of women. Perhaps due to this disturbing element, he made a formal call upon me, coming in at the front door like a gentleman, spend- ing most of his time looking out of the windows. He included this room and the stairs in his inspection tour. While he was still in the front hall a visitor (D.D.C.) seeing Rhody through the open front door, remained standing there so as not to alarm