130 A JOLLY RED-HEAD. 



the red-head perform is his taking a shower-bath. 

 How does he do it? you ask. During a light rain 

 I sometimes see him clinging lengthwise of a small 

 limb, spread out his wings until the feathers are 

 separated as much as possible, and then flap them 

 slowly back and forth, as you frequently swing 

 your arms when you want to expand your chest. 

 In this way the clean, refreshing drops percolate 

 his plumage and renovate it of all accumulations 

 of dust. Very often have I seen him go through 

 this quaint performance, and always during a light 

 shower, so that I feel justified in the conclusion 

 that he is, on such occasions, taking a shower-bath. 

 Ah I that is the reason the handsome fellow's tri- 

 colored suit, in spite of his rather dusty occupa- 

 tion of hewing out cavities in trees, always looks 

 so tidy. You cannot see a fleck on his white vest 

 or vermilion collar or blue-black "cutaway." 



From youth to old age our bird is a cunning, 

 tricksy spirit. Ah ! yes, there is the red-head, 

 junior — but hold! his head is black instead of 

 crimson ; so that we may say without contradic- 

 tion of terms that he is a black-headed red-head. 

 He is a quaint lad. I have seen him clinging to 

 the feathers of the parent bird, like a child liang- 

 ino^ to his mother's skirts, and screaming for some- 



