1835 1:23 P.M. Just returned from the court where I have been "entertaining" Neo. I saw another thrasher in one of the oaks there on going out. It was singing a sort of sub-song. I offer it worms without result, but the sound of wings close by my ears attracted my attention to Neo, who had seen what was going on and had glided down from somewhere to participate. He was well supplied with worms and now there is a confusion of low thrasher songs and warbles in the court outside. 1:27. This developed into renewed full song by Neo from his pine, another bird (N2 being with him) and the third bird renews song from the other side of the house. We are as we were before: a clear case of status quo ante. If Neo is defending his territory, he certainly is not vicious about it. His behavior is in striking contrast to what it was when he was seeking to gain it and fought so persistently as to ruin his plumage for months. (Perhaps he does not care to muss up his fine, new suit of clothes. On the other hand, being in possession of this territory and a mate the psychology of the situation is now with him instead of being against him, as it was then). (California Jay and English Sparrow). (During the lunch hour the sudden shrieking of a bird in distress came from an oak in the court, in the midst of Neo's song. I found a jay had clutched an english sparrow and was "massacree-ing" it 20 feet up in the tree. Yelling at it and clapping my hands did no good, so I got a BB gun and shot the sparrow dead right out of the jay's clutches. I am not saying which one I aimed at. The jay screamed and flew off. I was back again shortly searching the canopy of the tree for the sparrow. Wondering what it would do if I showed it the sparrow, I dropped the latter 10 feet in front of me. The jay came down, picked it up and flew off with it. The sparrow was full grown, but I think a bird of the year). 1:50 Thrasher song in court still continues, but of the low, confused type of that stage of the convention period when the bird are close together. Now it changes to full song from the N pine--now it ceases altogether. No use trying to keep up to the exact minute. Full again. 2:05 Found Rhody east of the cage. He followed promptly to the tool-house, booing at me through the door. Gave him one. Incidentally the mice are doing well by Rhody. In the last couple of weeks they have had 90 babies. Up to 3:20, when I left for a short absence, Neo sang often, mostly from his sanctuary. He had stopped on my return at 4:30, but as I was watching Rhody entering his house 2 at 4:47, Neo came through the fence by Rhody's tree and was given worms. In a few minutes he was again in full song. He is making a record for himself today. At 6 P.M. Rhody was still in his house in the eucalyptus tree and apparently meant to stick. He had spent most of the afternoon in his "optimum" tree and had had a second small mouse about 4:15. September 8th Thrashers sang at 5:30 A.M., perhaps earlier when I was still asleep. Thereafter song was scattered and not very enthusiastic until about 8:50. At that time one thrasher was singing from a tall pine 50 feet or so from my N.E. corner. There was nothing: not even rabbits and robins on the Nichols lawn. Shortly a solitary thrasher came out of the brush to the west and began to dig on the edge of the lawn. Two more appeared under the oaks on the slope