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The early morning toilette of the crow is not a 

 lengthy affair, for the bird does not bathe until later 

 in the day, presumably because he does not like his 

 bath- water too cold. 



From an hour or so after sunrise until sometime 

 after sunset the crows may be seen performing their 

 ablutions in any shallow piece of water such as an 

 irrigation channel or a puddle formed by the over- 

 flow of a tank. 



» 



In Almora, where irrigation channels and tanks 

 are unknown, the crows are sometimes hard put to 

 it to obtain a bath. In the Himalayas water, w^hen 

 it is out of season, is almost as valuable as whisky. 

 Every drop consumed in Almora had to be carried 

 in a kerosine-oil tin up a considerable hill. My 

 gardener used to keep a little hoard of the precious 

 liquid in an old zinc bath. This the crows converted 

 into a bathing ghat. It was not an ideal bathing 

 place but was better than nothing. The modus 

 operandi under such conditions is as follows : The 

 bather alights on the edge of the bath, and having 

 taken a good look round, for the crow is nothing if 

 not cautious, he grips hard with his feet and toes 

 4 



