90 Observations of a Bird Lover. 



ri cashes in lier liviiii^-rooni, and the prompt application of it 

 after clue consideration, to her feathered companions. I use this 

 last word advisedly, for that is what her feathered friends are 

 to her. 



May I be pardoned if I say that it is the lack of this keen, 

 intelligent interest in the ])irds we keep — we take, too many of 

 us, merely a passing- interest, admire their beauty, etc., and that 

 if. the end of it — that is largely responsible for so little copy for 

 the Journal coming- to hand of late? Because of this lack they 

 hp\'e but little to write about! 



Iler first note relates to a well known fact, yet how 

 ccmparatively few act upon it! 



BuDGERTCARS DO MOT RATHE: I will quotc the writer's 

 own words with but little abridg-ement : 



" An Australian seaman told me, and my little narrafive bears it out. 



" liudgerigars do not go into the water at home (their native heath), but 



" at sunrise they Lathe right enough in wet grass, and added : you go and 



" cut oft a lot of wet grass, or if weather is dry dip it in soft water, 



" and jnit a heap in the cage and see; I did this and what I sav^ then took 



me round to ;i dealer's shoj) here, where there was a very large cage-full 



of newly-arrived Budgerigars looking very mopey and miserable. The 



" woman in charge said ' trade's shocking, no one ever even looks in the 



window.' That gave me my opening, and 1 said, I will make dozens of 



l)eople look in if you will let me give those Budgerigars in the window a 



"native bath- -her answer came promptly 'Oh, Miss, budgerigars never 



" bathe!" -Not in water, I replied, you wait and see.' 1 only lived a street 



" away and went and cut a basketful of grass about 4—6 in. long, wet with 



the rain then falling and hastened back with it (Dealer's shop is in a 



narrow street in O.xford. in direct line to and from the Station — 



people passing the whole time). I put a mound 8 — lOin. high and round 



on the cage floor; like magic, in an instant every budgerigar was in and 



on it. and, there was a rolling tossing whirlwind of grass and blue tails 



" and each bird was jovously screaming, their delight very apparent. Of 



" course, I had only seen my two do it, but this was a spectacle, and the 



" woman kept on ' Oh, my lor.' Presently the one or two passers by 



" who had heard and .stopped became a crowd in the road and the .shop- 



" woman exclaiming, ' Oh my lor, we shall have the pleece ' ! A car 



" stopped and a lady came in, looked on, and then took away two pairs and 



' ' a cage ! ' ' 



" My own budgerigars used to roll over and over, tossing the wet 

 " grass over themselves, excitedly chattering and warbling all the time — 

 " an abundant testimony of their joysome gladsomeness — much as if they 

 " said ' Life is worth living now." 



