466 Scudder, The Birds' Bath. loct" 



fly off instantly. After the Robin has gone, is an interval; then 

 more small birds begin bathing, till the harsh cry of a Blue Jay near 

 at hand, drives them into the bushes. There are no hawks here, 

 except in migration. But a Blue Jay's presence seems to cause 

 the same sort of fear among the small birds that a hawk's does in 

 other places. Only Robins and Starlings hold their own without 

 fear. 



Is this bathing the explanation of the disappearance of birds 

 in the middle of the day during the nesting season and all through 

 the hot weather? Anyone who has been at a seashore resort knows 

 how long it may take to get to the beach and into the water, take 

 a bath, dress and then get home again, especially when one always 

 has to be on the look-out to avoid certain objectionable persons, 

 and when one is most particular about dressing and having one's 

 clothes perfectly put on. In the case of the birds there is no way 

 of telling how long it takes them to come and go, and to make sure 

 that there is no enemy around. The numbers of certain kinds of 

 birds can be explained in a satisfactory way only on the theory 

 that most of them come from considerable distances. For the 

 presence of ten or a dozen Prairie Warblers every hour would show 

 a greater abundance of these birds near the swamp than is indicated 

 by a study of the birds within a radius of a mile, though, of course, 

 an accurate census of a bird population is really impossible. The 

 other explanation for the abundance of birds is that the same bird 

 may bathe repeatedly during the day. This is undoubtedly true 

 in some cases, and possibly the rule during hot weather. But 

 within a length of time as short as one or two hours, it requires a 

 number of absences either from the search for food, or from the 

 nest, which seems too great to be probable. 



Certain pools are frequented for bathing, because of favorable 

 conditions of water supply, depth of water, places for drying and 

 preening feathers, and freedom from enemies. Within a half mile, 

 one set of pools will abound with birds, while all the rest have only 

 a few visitors or none at all. Yet it is often impossible to see any 

 reason for the choice which has been made. 



We all know the way in which a bird usually takes a bath, ruffling 

 out its feathers, half opening its wings, then dipping its head in and 

 out of the water, splashing with its wings and tail, and shaking its, 

 body vigorously. 



