(8). They all talked high in the tree. (9). I went and stood under the tree. There were 4 thrashers to be seen up about 40 feet, close to the trunk, moving up and down among the branches which are arranged spirally (or rather, helically) around the trunk, like "spiral" stairs. There was no conflict. (9) I looked over the low wall which my neighbor has built against my wire fence. Three more thrashers were on and around the lawn: some foraging and others evidently interested in the main convention. This makes seven thrashers accounted for at one time. The birds on the ground, at one time or another, all took part in the convention by moving up into the closely grouped trees. Some sang and some did not. As they began to disperse, as a result of a towhee alarm call, the singing in the tall pine ceased for a few minutes, eventually being confined to one bird. Song was now (about 11:30) heard from the very sanctum sanctorum of Neo's most private territory where he had his three nests of this year. For several months past Neo has run away from me on sight and I have wondered whether he had come to associate me with the disasters--some of them complete--which overwhelmed his three nesting activities. The song did not contain Neo's copyrighted "Vic-to-ree, vic-to-ree-ah" phrases, but the location is pre-eminent his alone; so I went down to see if I could re-establish contact with him after this long period of estrangement. As I approached the song ceased abruptly. I crouched down at the end of the little "varmint trail" through the tiny sage patch where he used to come to me regularly, and placed my hand, containing worms, palm upward on the ground, just within the fringe of sage. Soon there was a slight rustling sound approaching gradually; then soft flutings, just as Neo used to make. An immaculate thrasher came forward timidly through the brush. (Neo when last positively identified looked like a potato with chicken feathers stuck in it at random--an appearance continued from late last year when he began to fight other thrashers, beak and claw, face to face, for dominance in this territory (my home place). He would not take the worms from my hand, lacking the courage to make the last reach forward, so I dropped them for him and he took them, still talking. No doubt it was Neo; but such a Neo as has not been seen (with certainty) for months: newly outfitted as to apparel. I suspect he was the thrasher whom I interrupted on his way to join thrasher B shortly before. (10) At 1 P.M. song again sounded from Neo's sanctum. Again I went there and the actions were repeated as before; but this time, Neo ate from my hand with almost perfectly restored confidence. To me, this was the event of the series just recorded. (C.C. of the foregoing to J.G.). Unusually late revival of convent'n. 8:30 P.M. The foregoing events closed the convention for the day, I thought, based on precedent; but, at 6:45 as four of us (P.S.A. and family) went out into the garden, a thrasher was singing full song near the cage. As we waited there, not less than three others came. Song continued until 7 P.M. and ceased abruptly. One of the birds could be seen running off toward the center of Neo's home territory. Rhody was home all day doing the usual things, including at least one visit to the owl. August 29th. Thrasher song was heard by me at 5:25 A.M. and continued from some place in the garden until I had to leave about 9:30 A.M. and could not observe subsequent events. However, at 8:45, apparently in response to the song here, other thrashers began to assemble