HIS BATH 71 



The secret of this is to have no perch near 

 except those in his cage. At the moment of 

 leaving the bath, the bird's one idea is to dry 

 his feathers, and if induced to return to the 

 cage for that purpose, will, in the majority of 

 cases, I think, continue to do so. 



Even if my suggestions as to the size and 

 shape of the bathing -dish are not adopted 

 because of the trouble, I wish to urge upon 

 bird keepers never to give a bird his bath on 

 the gravel of his cage. It is sure to be damp- 

 ened, and will grow musty and disagreeable, 

 besides, in many cases, giving the bird a cold, 

 which leads to suffering, if not to death. If 

 he bathes in his cage, it should be over the 

 empty tray; and when he has finished, the 

 tray should be dried and dry gravel put on it. 

 The drops of water should also be wiped from 

 the wires of the cage. 



If these things are systematized, and a con- 

 venient place provided for keeping all the 

 implements and materials where they can be 

 brought out and returned quickly, they will 

 not be found much trouble, and will add 

 greatly to the comfort as well as the health 

 of the captive. 



