June 9th. Allen hummer nesting. At about 5:45 A.M., the Allen hummer was not working; but I watched only a few minutes. A few glances at the nest between then and 6:30 A.M. (when I left to join the Reynolds's in taking motion pictures of a fine colony of cliff swallows--actually on a cliff-- in La Costa valley) failed to reveal her presence. On my return about 4 P.M., it was found that she had raised the parapet of the nest, in the meantime, perhaps half an inch, with what looked like cotton irregularly applied, leaving the rim and the enclosed bowl in rough condition. She was not seen working later than this today, but the nest was not watched closely. Rhody diverges from recent behavior. Rhody, to my surprise, was not to be found at 4 P.M., and Julio said he had not been seen all day, suggesting that he had been away looking for me! This absence interrupts his last few weeks of almost continuous nest occupancy. At 5:30 P.M. I found him sunning his back just outside the north fence. Although he had neither meat nor mouse (at home) dur- ing the day, he viewed my arrival upon the scene with utmost indif- ference, greeting me not at all. In 15 minutes he condescended to come home, but ignored me and went to watch the magpies. In a minute or so he came out for a long drink at my feet, then ran quickly to- ward his house, in which he settled for the night at precisely 5:50: the first time for some weeks that I have been able to distinguish between his "incubation" period and night resting. June 10th. Rhody re- news song, but changes it. Noon. Rhody has apparently decided against further absence today, although he has been occupying his nest less than usual. He was given a mouse at about 11:30 A.M., which he treated with elabor- ate ritual with presentation at the mirror, finally taking it to his house. There he cooed softly many times and finally, with the mouse still in his bill, resumed the full song that has not been heard for weeks. He sang perhaps a dozen times, incidentally estab- lishing new records for him for the number of coos per song and for change of pitch during the song. The number of coos (9 being his previous record (?)) frequently ran as high as ten in succession, and twice reaching twelve. Usually his song falls in pitch with the last few coos, but today, the pitch began to rise when about halfway through the song and lower thereafter. After eating the mouse, song cesed and he remained in his house as I left. Allen hummer con- tinues nest con- struction. This has been an overcast, chilly morning. The hummer has been observed a few times working on the nest and seems to show increasing tendency to sit in it longer after each addition of material or period of active shaping. The walls of the nest are beginning to show what ship-build- ers call "tumble home", that is, they are inclining in toward the center as they rise in height, so that the inside diameter of the cup at the top is less than at the bottom. 6 P.M. She was seen at the nest but a few times during the afternoon and little more material seems to have been added; although it should be stated that I did not visit the scene more than five or six times. Rhody elected to stay home after his long absence of yester- day, spending most of his time in the nest. A second mouse given him was again taken there and eaten after some display.