September 18th. Thrasher song at 5:35 A.M. and song all the morning, but no considerable concentration of birds here. Neo's songs from his pine brought distant responses and one bird came to the pines on the north line, but there was seen no real convention. Indications at present are that the birds are "hollering" at each other from a distance and not actually invading each other's territories, and it may be that the active part of the convention is period is over. At 5:45 P.M. Neo was singing loudly from his inner abode. Rhody stayed home most of the time doing the usual things. He again slept in No.1. September 19th. Thrashers song came from the west nearby at 5:30 A.M. and at 8 A.M. was sounding in the garden still. A little later Neo climbed his pine and continued indefinitely, N2 climbing up to join him and putting in a phrase here and there. Thrasher song was often heard during the day coming from the south, but no convention was seen here. At about 9 A.M. Rhody was cavorting around a bush in the Nichols garden, as if playing hide-and-seek with an invisible companion, varying this occupation by dashing off through the bushes in spectacular, curvilinear orbits. When I spoke to him he subsided meekly and began to sun his back. A little later he was preening Rhody still single-mindedly on one of the lath screens, removing quantities of "dandruff" from his feathers and some feathers as well. He is by no means finished with his moult, which has endured now for 5 or 6 (?) months. While Rhody preened there was an opossum in a box trap about 8 feet from him, caught during the night on the trap's being set (for cats) for the first time in months. I did not know it was there until I went to speak to Rhody. He could undoubtedly see it, but I moved the trap a little nearer him and tipped it so that he could look down into it. He saw the opossum at once, but after a casual glance at it, went on with his preening. It is possible, of course, that he had seen it much earlier--even probable--and had already given it all the attention the circumstances required. (The 'possum was taken out into the hills and released; but it probably should have been killed). Rhody was very much of a home body today, spending much time in the more intimate parts of the garden: in the court and vicinity, and on the low part of the roof. He also discovered another lath screen over a rhododendron near the oval lawn and used this for a prolonged rest. (The sun is too strong for this rhododendron: a Felix Sauvage). He visited his nest in the glass house in the dormitory tree today and fussed with the twigs there for a few minutes; sat on the windowsill of the tool-house close to the mouse cages and, in general, as indicated above, was more concerned with affairs in and about the court area than usual. At lunch time, when I was sitting in the "cloister" he came to remind me of his existence and need for a mouse This being attended to, he climbed up one of the oaks to see what the jays were doing there, following them through the branches without sign of hostile intent. When he sailed down they followed him for 50 feet, strangely enough, without a screech. His interest in jays has been increasing lately, it seems to me. Tonight, he is sleeping in No.2, where I want him.