1665 now that the young thrashers are becoming more mobile, though mostly still sedentary, the area which they occupy includes Rhody's nest tree and there is little doubt that he is well aware of their pres- ence. They are not really safe with him about; but as yet, no overt act on his part that might be construed as inimical to them has been seen. April 20th. (Overcast at sunrise). All 5 thrashers and Rhody accounted for within an area having no dimension in excess of 25 yards, about 8 A.M.; Rhody "incubating" and one young thrasher about 30 feet from him up in a pine tree. Rhody catches one of the young thrashers! We disagree" in prin- ciple". 11 A.M. Well, I find Rhody and I disagree as to the faunal balance of this area! Knowing that one never knows in advance what he would do under certain imagined conditions, I have often speculated as to how I would react toward Rhody if I should catch him molesting the thrashers; especially as these two species of birds are prime favorites of mine and such of them as have given me their friendship and confidence here have come to occupy a high place in my affections. At 10:15 A.M. I went out to see if everything was all right, as I did not especially care for the situation . I found Rhody up on the orchard bank looking up into the bushes overhead and the adult thrashers scripping nearby. The implication was clear, so I picked up a stone as big as my fist and went up to Rhody. He rattle-boed impertinently and continued to stare upward. He then went up into the foliage and moved out toward the end of the limb and I got ready. There was a sudden rustling followed by screams and I let fly the too stone so as to make a loud crashing sound about a foot from Rhody, who was only about 5 feet over my head. He flew out hastily with a young thrasher in his bill, dropping it in mid air. Neo and N2, as Rhody now started in pursuit of the young bird on the ground (ap- parently uninjured) joined me in instant chase and Rhody fled, rattle boing, as I stopped to watch the parents hard on his heels as he ran and dodged through the bushes and disappeared. Two brown towhees fol- lowed as spectators. Curiously, perhaps, I found myself only mildly annoyed with Rhody--maybe because now he was the one being attacked! The chase quickly ended and surprisingly soon Rhody came sauntering back as casually as if the affair did not matter at all to him, and stood near me, calm and collected. The parent thrashers did not return at once and their scripping died out. Rhody showed some interest in the rose-bush on the fence under which the young bird had taken refuge and started in that direction. Perhaps he heard it. However, when I spoke to him sharply, he came back and stood quietly 4 or 5 feet from me and looked expectant; so, naturally, I started for the tool-house followed by him and gave him a mouse, hoping that this would take his mind off of the young thrasher. He carried the mouse to his nest and ate it about 10:45, and was "incubating" as I left to make this entry. The little thrasher was then seated in plain sight in the rose, apparently unharmed and no longer frightened. Neo had return- ed, received worms from me; had fed the chick and both were working their way back toward the heart of their special area. This affair, of course, was one such as doubtless forms a more or less regular event in the lives of birds and while their emotions are unquestionably stimulated to a high point at the time it would seem that little lasting impression of an emotional nature remains. Ordinarily, of course, such affairs are free of human inter- vention, and it is interesting to note in this case, none of the act- ors in any way appeared to have altered his attitude toward me after-