1577 Weather Conditions to Date. On the whole, except for the few days around the 10th. of November (when there were torrential rains and winds of gale force) there have been few departures from normal during the past month or two. At present the rainfall on this side of the bay is about 25% in excess of normal (about 3 times that of last year). The weather has been, on the whole, mild. The absolute minimum temperature in the upper garden, so far, during this period, has been 36° and there has been no frost; but there has been frost at lower and higher altitudes, but not severe. Wild currants, gooseberries, elderberries are coming into new leaf. The alders and the hazels have their catkins out and the manzanita variety having sessile leaves (Arctostaphylos Andersonii) and the Silk Tassel tree (Garrrya elliptica) are in full bloom at elevations of 1000 to 1500 feet. This is not exceptional for these wild plants at this time of the year, but normal. After having his mouse Rhody adjourned to the south-facing bank by the orchard to lie in the sun-spotted shade. Here he remained until a little after 2 P.M. until movements of mine suggested mouse to him and he followed to the tool-house, only to dash off in one of his circuses, finally returning to me for his mouse after one sonorous rattle-boo. He again returned to the bank and was still there at 4 P.M. His roosting time was not noted, but he was in his roost in the eucalyptus at 5 P.M. (50°). December 30th. (Sunrise 7:25, sunset 4:59). Much thrasher song in the early morning, wandering from place to place. At 8 A.M. Rhody was still in his roost.(49°, calm, partly cloudy). Julio had fed Neo before this at his regular place, but Neo was no longer there at 8 A.M. An Hour with the Thrashers. About 9 A.M. two thrashers were seen in a small, bare tree 50 or 60 yards away down on the slope to the north; one of them singing a confused sort of warbling song. In a few minutes they disappeared and full song was heard to the north east and a bird was seen in the cork-oak between the Nichols and the Reiter houses: the same tree where the "fight" of the other day originated. I went over there and stood 30 feet from the tree; the song continued, but there were no signs of the other bird. During a lull in the song the thrasher in the tree turned his attention to me and I offered worms; which it came and got. It was Neo, as suspected from the fins first, the identification confirmed by the stub of the broken tail feather. He went back to the tree and continued the song. In about 10 minutes there was response far to the north east, but Neo, whose back was turned in that direction gave no indication of having heard it. The singer gradually approached and took up station in the back garden of the house on Estates Drive: the territory already indicated as being owned by a thrasher. This bird now began contin- uous full-song and I now stood between two singing thrashers about 60 or 70 yards apart, listening intently to both songs and watching both birds, as the newcomer was now in sight. With the usual allow- ance for human fallibility: the songs were made up of entirely different musical phrases, both musical and in "words". Both were much varied and I was unable to recognize any of Brownie's stock phrases in either. However, Neo approached one of them closely with a tor-kit-a ( a as in hay) and used some flicker calls. The other had several phrases that were familiar, but not from thrashers. One of them a succession of short, clear whistled notes descending in pitch and uttered rapidly .