WHY DO BIRDS BATHE? II 



By ERNEST THOMPSON SETON 



MY ARTICLE on this subject in the November-December Bird-Lore 

 has resulted in some valuable information contributed by Dr. A. A. 

 Allen, Ithaca, N. Y.; S. W. Hopper, East Orange, N. J.; Mrs. H. H. 

 Dunshee, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Mrs. F. A. Snow, Aiken, S. C; Mrs. Bruce 

 Ford, Philadelphia, Pa.; E. J. Saw>'er, Watertown, N. Y. ; Edith H. Whitaker, 

 Toledo, Ohio; Dr. J. O. Tilton, Lexington, Mass.; R. Owen Merriman, Hamil- 

 ton, Ontario, Canada; Mrs. T. T. Munger, New London, N. H.; Miss Mary T. 

 Barrel!, Portland, Maine, and others. To utilize their notes I submit a second 

 summary. 



My attention is called also to an article in the October Auk for 191 5, pages 

 465-468 on 'The Birds' Bath' by Heyward Scudder. He points out four 

 variants of the common or wet bath. 



(a) The typical plunge, with ruffled feathers, spread wings, head ducked, 

 splashing with wings and tail, the body shaken for 2 to 100 seconds, (b) A 

 short bath of 2 to 50 seconds, flight to a drying perch, then one or more up to 

 six or seven similar baths, (c) A number of short dips, without soaking. 

 (d) A dip with wings tight shut. 



To this he adds the 'air-bath' described later. 



THE VARIOUS BATHS 



1. The Dip. That is, one or more dips with fluttering wings and tail, wet- 

 ting, however, only the surface of the body feathers. There are at least three 

 variations of this as above. The dipping of the Kingbird is a good illustration, 

 but another kind of dip is the one that Swallows take while on the wing. 



2. The Soak or Plunge. This is a thorough and elaborate wetting of the 

 whole plumage, making it all as wet as it can be — wet to the skin. Of this the 

 Robin is the great exponent; although, as will be seen later, the Screech Owl 

 also claims honors as a Knight of the Bath. 



3. The Shower-Bath, taken usually in the rain or under the garden hose, 

 though E. J. Sawyer tells of an Indigo Bunting that improvised a shower-bath 

 by repeatedly shaking the hea\y dew down on himself. Some birds enjoy 

 this so much that they sing while it rains. The Robin and Wren especially do so. 



4. The Sun-Bath. The sun-bath is not always easy to determine. We may, 

 however, consider a bird to be taking a sun-bath when it remains posed in a 

 sunny place, with wings raised so the sun strikes parts of the body not other- 

 wise exposed, especially when the bird at the same time gasps with open bill. 

 E. J. Sawyer, however, sends a photograph of a Robin taking a sun-bath all 

 spread out flat on the grass; also refers to the elaborate sunning of the Pied- 

 billed Grebe. The sun-bath of the Turkey-buzzard is well known. Dr. Arthur 

 A. Allen writes: "You do not credit Sparrows with sun-bathing and so am 



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