not heard from a thrasher before. One of them, especially melo- dious, was strongly reminiscent of the song of the bird sold here under the name of "Japanese, or Peking, nightingale, or robin". ( A babbler: Liothrix luteus, Encyc. Brit. (?) ). Familiarities of young thrashers About 10:45 I was working in the cage; the young thrashers interfering with every movement, inspecting and pecking at screws as they were being driven in, thrusting their beaks into the loops of screw-eyes as I was twisting them into place and reaching for flies that buzzed about my ears. They prodded at the pliers in my hand and hammered the back of my neck. They tapped the top of a shelf even while I was driving nails in the bracket holding it in place. Behavior of this kind is typical of every young bird with which I have become intimately acquainted. Amongst them are number- ed: the Blackheaded Grosbeaks ('Dum and 'Dee); the Bullock Oriole (Orrie); the Road-runners (Archie and Terry); and now the California Thrashers (Okii and Chiisai). Rhody now (11 A.M.) visited his dish for meat, but again, deferred putting his ideas into full execution on account of the yellow-jackets. He therefore was quite ready to surrender when I came out of the cage and trot along beside me to the shop-yard. The anticipated mouse was put to strictly utilitarian service: no tail-wagging, tail-wagging. This business finished, Rhody retired to his "optimum-light-and-shade" acacia to sit on his favorite branch 6 feet above the ground. (Acacia latifolia or longifolia, depending upon the nurseryman from whom it is bought!) Incidentally, the hard, black seeds of this acacia are attractive to the Blackheaded Grosbeak. August 9th. Uncoordinated nesting activity continued sporadically on the part of the young thrashers, Chiisai being the more persistent. In some way I seem to form part of the picture in his mind. Thus when a rootlet, fibre or twig is being carried about aimlessly, it may often be brought to me, and if I then go into the inner cage and stand by the "nest", Chiisai (and sometimes Okii) will then follow, climb up me, jump to the nest and there place it more or less carefully and accurately. This happened twice today. Chiisai is now much shabbier than Okii; covered with "blue" spots and showing numerous pin-feathers, especially about the wing coverts. There are bald patches on head and neck. Rhody ran true to recent form: No nesting activity; no dis- play on being given a mouse; not even sitting in nests. (Perhaps the statement as to no nesting activity should be qualified, as he does occasionally pick up bunches of pine needles and carry them for a time with no definite objective in sight. August 10th. Little change, although O and C gave less attention to their nest. What little work was done on it seemed to be of a negative sort, as the structure is now stripped down almost to the original artificial foundation placed there by me. Chiisai obliged with one of his rare digging songs.