156 THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS 



in it; and who can say that it is in all cases neces- 

 sary to the welfare of the performer? It may be 

 purely for the pleasure derived therefrom. This 

 undoubtedly is true in the case of tame birds who 

 have much time to spare. The long and lonely 

 days in captivity would pass very slowly without 

 such an agreeable occupation. 



My brown thrush takes the greatest delight in 

 her bath. I first met her in a dark and lonely bird- 

 store in New York City. The keeper informed me 

 that he had had her six years, and could not sell 

 her because she was so ugly ; that she could neither 

 sing nor produce a sound, and for this reason he 

 had kept her away back in a dark, dusty, cold cor- 

 ner, in a cage that is best undescribed. 



My heart went out to this desolate lonely crea- 

 ture. I bought her for a small sum, much to the 

 delight of her prison-keeper, took her home with me, 

 and gave her a large, sunny, clean cage, with plenty 

 of fresh gravel, good food, swings to play on, room 

 to exercise her precious and almost lifeless wings, 

 several near bird-neighbours, and not least of all, a 

 big bathtub of water! Never shall I forget her joy 

 on beholding such luxuries. And into the bathtub 

 she plunged and bathed to her heart's content. 



I found that she was troubled with parasites 

 which constant bathing soon eradicated. Her 



