82 LEAST FLYCATCHER 



would go out to water her garden at five o'clock 

 the Chebec would come flying in to have her 

 give him a shower-bath. While waiting for her 

 to get out the hose, he would " fly down on the 

 fence and begin his talk ; " then she would come 

 up within five or six feet of him and turn the 

 hose upon him gently. In describing it she said : 

 " Of course he does n't like a very strong shower. 

 He says che-beck' in between, and when he has 

 had enough he flies into the bushes and preens 

 himself beautifully. I wish you could see him 

 shake himself ! " On the days when the fountain 

 spray was set on the grass, when it made an arch 

 high enough, the little Flycatcher would dart 

 through it back and forth almost in a circle, rest- 

 ing occasionally on the fence, as his friend in- 

 terpreted it, " to think about it probably, and say 

 che-beck', thanks." At times, when he tired of 

 these methods of bathing, he would drop down 

 on the ground and shake himself in the wet grass 

 blades, as a Canary does in a bath-tub. After tell- 

 ing about all the attractive ways of the friendly 

 bird, the little lady concluded : " Now you do not 

 wonder that I called him the darling little fellow, 

 for I really have an affection for him ; " and then 

 she went on to say that, although she lived by 

 herself in her cottage, she found so much com- 

 panionship in her birds and flowers and trees 

 that she could never be lonely. 



