1497 To return to yesterday's observations: It was seen that he had lost the sharply pointed tips of the feathers of his upper back, scapulars and wing coverts. When his wings are closed, it is these feathers that determine the predominating color of his body as seen from above and to one side, that is, from the average view-point of a spectator when the bird is on the ground. These feathers are predominatingly bronzy green, with edgings of ochraceous tawny and white in bands parallel to the contours, the white being outside. Since the sharp tips are now gone, each terminates in a notch. Since these tips do not have exactly the same distribution of the same colors as the main portion of the feather it is evident that their loss causes the bird to have a somewhat different coloration at this time of the year. Without examination of the bird in detail before and after loss of the tips it is impossible to say just what this change should be. At present I can only say that I have an impression that he is less tawny just now than he was earlier in the year: more green and more white. But this can not be relied upon. Somewhere in earlier notes (I have not looked them up) references have been made to suspected changes of this sort). August 5th. Rhody was at the cage at 7 A.M. (Julio). I went out at 8:30. The young thrashers came with a rush as I entered, Chiisai bringing a bunch of pine-needles to deposit in the crook of my elbow with much talk, followed by probings all about my upper-works. Okii soon joined him. Chiisai now left, without leading action of mine, to arrange twigs in the nest in the inner cage and was there joined by Okii, both of them fussing with the twigs and talking to each other. After half a minute or so, C dropped down, got another twig and carried it about on the ground for several minutes, then dropped it. This ended the nest- ing activity for the time. About 9:30 I went out again. The thrashers were scripping, indicating probable presence of Rhody, though I could not see him. However, as I opened the inner door of the entry, it scraped on the wire roof and I looked up to see what caused the unusual sag- ging. It was Rhody, who picked up and examined carefully, first one foot and then the other. The door had probably contacted them slightly, but he was not hurt or even frightened. Soon he came down, discovered, played with, then ate a lizard found at the lumber pile, to appear later at this door as prematurely recorded in catching up on Aug.4th. notes. First, however, he played with the young thrashers by dodging about one corner of the cage and making theatrical gestures with occasional soft rattle-boos. In this connection, it should be noted that O and C, now, seem to scrip at him (without looking at him) only when they catch sight of him after not having seen him for some time. They are not excited when he hangs around indefinitely. They are, in fact, curious about him, and as in the present instance, despite his cavortings, move closer to have a good look. Yesterday I was holding Chiisai so that he could pick off ants that were climbing up a post of the cage, when an Anna humming bird buzzed about 6 inches from him. This startled him and he flew away. Both young thrashers like to have me hold my hands where they can sit on them and reach the ant columns going up and down Rhody and young thrashers. Chiisai and hummer.