108 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



be replaced by feathers, we have in numerous in- 

 stances seen them turning round their heads and 

 going over all the tiny bits of down and the ends 

 of the sprouting feathers within their reach. This 

 might be plausibly supposed to be rather the mother's 

 task, and it is usually so stated in books ; but though 

 the mother is very attentive, as we shall presently 

 see, to every species of cleanliness, Providence has 

 ordered that so important a circumstance should not 

 be left wholly to her care. Those who have not an 

 opportunity of verifying our remark in the case of 

 nestling birds, may readily observe the same thing in 

 domestic animals. Cats, for example, are very as- 

 siduous in cleaning the fur of their kittens, for which 

 purpose their rough tongue is admirably adapted : 

 but a kitten, like the nestling bird, when only a few 

 days old, may be seen dressing itself assiduously ; 

 and as soon as it can run about, it will even en- 

 deavour to clean its dam. This circumstance we 

 never observed among young birds and their moth- 

 ers; though it is by no means uncommon among 

 rabbits, horses, and other domestic quadrupeds. 

 Mutual assistance in cleaning is even given by in- 

 dividuals not of the same family, as may be seen in 

 horses dressing each other's necks ; and Wilson re- 

 lates an instance of the same thing in the case of 

 two birds, not even of the same species, in his in- 

 imitable account of the blue jay (Garrulus cristatus, 

 BRISSON). An individual of this species, which had 

 been caught in the woods, was put into the same 

 cage with an orchard oriole (Icterus spurius, BONA- 

 PARTE), who at first received the new comer with 

 no little jealousy ; but this all vanished in a few 

 hours, and they lived together in good-humour. 

 " When the jay goes to drink," the narrative pro- 

 ceeds, " his messmate very impudently jumps into 

 the water to wash herself, throwing it in showers 

 over her companion, who bears it all patiently \ ven- 

 turing now and then to take a sip between every 



