162 FROM BLOMIDON TO SMOKY. 



Clasping her quickly, I carried her back to the 

 cage. She was very hungry, and went at once 

 to a cup and drank long and often. Her brief 

 outing had given her courage to stand up against 

 the attacks of the others, and I had no further 

 anxiety for her health. I filled their cups at 8 

 A. M., 1 P. M., 4 p. M., and at dark, — the last as 

 a precaution against unseasonable tapping in the 

 morning. 



During the next few days I filled the cups 

 several times a day, and the birds drank freely, 

 and seemed happy and perfectly healthy. On 

 July 17, being satisfied that the birds never 

 would learn to go up and down between the 

 upper and lower cages, I removed the upper cage 

 and placed it on the floor beside the lower one, 

 opening a door between the two so that the birds 

 could hop through from one to the other on the 

 same level. They did this at once. I then added 

 a third room which could be entered by a door in 

 its side, and found that the birds quickly availed 

 themselves of the chance to be alone for a part 

 of each day. 



One warm day I sprinlded the birds with 

 water. They were greatly astonished, but at 

 once surprised me as much as I had them, for 

 they flung themselves upon the floor and went 

 through all the head, wing, and feather motions 

 of a bath, scattering about chips and sawdust in 



