HIS BATH 63 



dish-makers expected the bird to lie down in 

 his bath as we do, and possibly that is their 

 expectation. 



The consequence of this blundering is that 

 a cage bird scarcely ever enjoys a comfortable 

 bath. If he is small enough to go in, his 

 wings cannot touch the water, and it is with 

 his wings that the bird sprinkles himself. 

 More than this, the water is usually so deep 

 for his length of leg that, to go in, his body 

 must be in the water. Whoever has watched 

 a wild bird bathing must have noticed that 

 he goes in till the water comes not quite to his 

 body, and then, with wings and tail spread, 

 throws the shower over himself. 



I believe that not one bird in a hundred 

 will go into water deep enough to soak his 

 body. One may stoop for an instant or two, 

 and so let the water come up over him ; but 

 he will rarely stay long enough to wet the 

 feathers through. 



This inconvenience is the reason so many 

 birds in our cages content themselves with 

 scattering water with their head and beak 

 only, and never go in. One often hears the 

 complaint, " My bird will not bathe ;" but I 



