away from the other birds. This he keeps up for a minute or two. Meanwhile the singer, who has been silent for some minutes, comes down, looks, disappears. The scripper is still on the wall. I make worm-tossing gestures. It approaches, takes worms dropped over the wall. Identity? 'I come in to write this note. (76°, slightly hazy these last 5 minutes). Hear some song from here; 10:45. Rhody has not been seen as yet today, and has not eaten his meat. He seems to be losing his interest in the stuffed owl. Hope he has not decided that horned owls are harmless. Going back to the thrashers, 11:15, at 10:55 I went out to my northeast corner. This area is completely covered with oaks. Full song came from the Robinsons', due east. Full song broke out directly overhead from an unspected bird. A fluff-fluff of wings behind me and a third thrasher landed in a drooping oak branch at shoulder height, 8 feet back of me. Frightened at its own temerity, it glided off to forage beneath the trees 50 feet away. Song from the east ceased. The bird overhead also stopped and sailed down to Neo's sanctuary and resumed full song. Two birds struck up from the north. Impossible to trace them all! I came in to record this much anyway. It will be observed that, in these affairs, the number engaged usually (or most often) works out at five, suggesting two parents and three birds of the year. But as two of the adults are most certainly Neo and N2 and they are thought to have reared successfully but one chick and are definitely known to have reared not more than two, the parties, even when composed of not more than five individuals, can not be exclusively affairs of one family. In the event described when the scripper, the singer, the two "dancers" and the one "sun-fitter" were the performers, it is clear that two birds were merely watchers: presumably the adults Neo and N2. One was a solitary comedian, speculatively fitting the supposition that, since there was an odd number of birds present and the two dancers were more interested in each other than in him, he was frozen out and had to find an outlet for his exuberance of spirit by inventing an imaginary partner. The other two (dancers) may be considered as unmated birds also, probably birds of the year, seeking to form an alliance for the future. This is, of course, purest speculation and might be carried forward indefinitely as, for example: The three performers would become birds of the year: one of them the (probably) sole surviving offspring of Neo and N2 would have to be (in order to avoid possible future incest(!)) one of the two dancers seeking a mate from another family. The solo actor, especially since he has now on two succeeding days selected the same bush about which to cavort, could be a nestmate of the dancer unrelated to Neo and mate, etc., etc....... 11:55 Full song still coming from Neo's sanctuary. N2(?) in bushes nearby. "Too many thrashers". (J). Rhody has visited the cage for meat, unseen. J finds him-- very thirsty. Noon: he climbs his optimum tree and settles to rest. Neo continues to sing his head off. Neo, after about 15 minutes, moved up to his pine and the oval lawn vicinity, singing almost without pause until 1:05. This had attracted a thrasher who sang from a pine on the opposite side of the house for a half hour. Neo then went up in leisurely fashion accompanied by his mate, foraging en route, apparently to "see about". No hostility was evident. I could not follow the ensuing events, but song ceased from all quarters. However, by 1:14 (which is this moment) Neo and mate appeared to be talking just outside this window on the roof.