1626 approximately the location of Rhody's optimum tree and thrashers began to reappear upon the lawn. Rhody butts in again, with full trimmings. Suddenly Rhody butted in again with one of his elaborate circuses in and about the trees and through the bushes near N2, with elaborate figures of eight and miscellaneous conic sections, rattle-booming with wings spread, at top speed. He as suddenly subsided, walked meekly past me and climbed the tree from which Neo was singing, but only to the height of the cage roof, where he stepped across to preen industriously with no evidence of awareness of surrounding activities. The impression given was that he was bored by all this nonsense of the thrashers and sought relief by giving vent to expressions of contempt and physical evolutions designed to show those birds what a real bird can do when occasion warrants! (I do not guarantee the correctness of this interpretation). After luncheon I found that Neo had wandered farther east and was now off towards the Robinsons' still singing and occasionally using his victoree theme (1 P.M.). (70°). During the rest of the afternoon he was heard to sing several times from his intimate, nest area: songs of fairly long duration. This particular spot is again becoming a favored singing and resting post. Rhody continued true to seasonal form: No singing, nest-building, display on receiving mice or carrying them about; no posing before the mirror; much loafing and preening and little wandering abroad--if any. September 1st. (Sunrise 5:38; sunset 6:41). Thrasher convention resumes. Thrasher song was first heard at 5:32 A.M., when a bird began to sound off near the west end of the house. By 8 A.M., song being almost continuous somewhere in the garden meanwhile, it was clear that a convention was assembling. The sky was overcast, but cleared shortly after 8 o'clock. The sparrowhawk pine was the principal focal point and the convention lasted until about 1 P.M. At one time 5 birds were in sight and one was singing overhead. It was believed that these 6 composed the entire gathering. The affair was much like yesterday's, with the addition that one or two mild chases of short duration and distance were seen. The chaser in all instances was the last bird down from the tree. He seemed to object to other thrashers coming inside the little, two foot high fence that encloses a child's play house close to my north line. This area: about 15' x 20', was temporarily claimed by him as foraging territory. When other birds entered he was satisfied by merely driving them outside the fence. There were no contacts and apparently no particular animus. Two birds seemed to be the principal singers; the others were more concerned in hunting food, but occasionally they got together and there was considerable talk with some posturing like yesterday's. Once two birds confronted each other a three feet distance with bills raised toward the sky; but the pose was soon abandoned. They gradually dispersed, with Neo however (and perhaps his mate) appearing to remain here in their own territory. In any case, Neo stayed and sang much until about 3 P.M. During the convention, he again came to the top of the wall and took worms (this time) three feet from my face. Rhody comes back to sleep in No.2 again. Rhody showed no departures from recent form, except that he did not sleep in house No. 1, as he has been doing ever since he was frightened (?) from No. 2; but, to my delight, returned to No.2 in the peppermint gum tree.