in the thicket, move about from point to point, occasionally rattle- boo, but maintain enough self-possession to preen and rest. (Incidentally there was not seen any of the decoying behavior de- scribed by Dawson (Birds of California). A Point of Behavior Common to the Thrash- er Neo, the Road-runner Rhody and the Plover "Beetle". The crippled plover, christened "Beetle" by Dr. Reyn- olds, now recognizes me as source of food and will come and take worms from hand. Neo, as the notes show, comes to me for worms; but he has not progressed so far. Numerous instances have been cited of Rhody's beginning to look for imaginary worms on seeing me and even of his exhibiting the "salivary reflex", supposedly. Neo, on being called from his retreat, often pecks at invisible objects as he approaches me. Yesterday Beetle did the same. In both cases the bird does (or did) this immediately following an extended period during which it had not sought for food. These notes have shown that Rhody, Archie and Terry his two offspring, have passed by and even walked on meat for hours without considering eating it, only to pick it up and eat it on having their attention drawn to it by me. Beetle, yesterday, had refused to eat some short sections of angle worms placed near his principal standing place, although he had looked at them more than once. When I entered the cage and ap- proached him and sat down, he came toward me at once, but paused first to pick up and eat every one of the worm fragments before continuing onward to get meal worms from me. 11:30 A.M. So far the rain is only a threat. At this time Julio "handed" Rhody, in his new house, a mouse on the end of a pole, and it was gratefully accepted. R had refused to come down and get it, 1:15 P.M. Still in his house. Light, cold rain just start- ed. Southerly wind, (50°). 2:05. Rhody still in his house. Not raining and, so far the amount fallen is only a trace. Plover deviation from behavior just cited. I now went to see Beetle, the plover. I entered the cage and sat down. When worms were shown in the palm of the hand (meal-worms) he came at once and took them. Heretofore it had been necessary to toss a worm or two on the ground in front of me as a preliminary. I now placed some angle-worms on the ground before him. He would not touch them; but when I showed him one in the palm of my hand, he came and took it at once, but dropped it either accidentally or purposely, and stood there looking at my palm. He would not touch the other worms while I was there, though he might have if they had been cut into smaller pieces as he prefers. Similar experience Somewhere in these notes , I believe, I have stated it as past with other birds: Grosbeak, Oriole, Goldfinch. experience that tamed wild-birds, in an outdoor aviary, notably a black-headed grosbeak, a Bullock oriole and several green-backed gold-finches, once their confidence was gained, would try any food offered them by hand, even though that food would not be taken by them on their own initiative; further, that these birds would leave any food they were eating at the time and come to me to eat exactly the same food if offered in my hand. (Curiously, the oriole proved to be a great seed-eater--provided I cracked each seed for him indi- vidually: a slow process which annoyed him so much that he would peck me to make me hurry and look for tender places (webs between fingers) to pinch. As soon as the seed was slightly cracked he would endeavor to extract the kernel. The grosbeaks method to force me to hurry was to call in my ear, then pinch it until I handed him a seed. In this way he got a taste of blood and I had to prevent him from chewing my ears thereafter).