BIRD BATHS 



WATER is as essential to birds as food, not only to quench 

 their thirst and help assimilate their food, but also for the 

 purpose of bathing, for birds are cleanly creatures. In hot weather 

 and during the nesting season, birds drink often, and bathe fre- 

 quently, and unless a supply is furnished near at hand, must fly 

 long distances in its quest. Therefore bathing places should be 

 established at intervals about one's grounds, particularly if the 

 estate be of great extent. The selection of location is of vital 

 importance to the welfare of the birds. However wary a bird may 

 be at other times, it is during the pleasure of the bath that its 

 watchfulness is relaxed, and caught off its guard, is pounced 

 upon by some cat that has made a successful stalk from the cover 

 of a nearby clump of shrubbery. 



To make this danger as remote as possible, place the bath in 

 the open at some distance from any cover, and also as an addi- 

 tional precaution have the bath mounted, when practicable, on a 

 pedestal at least three feet in height. 



A bath may be a simple one easily constructed by the amateur, 

 or it may be an affair of exquisite design, such as would fittingly 

 adorn an Italian garden, along with its sundial and roses, and 

 from the centre of which a fountain may play. The possibilities 

 of a bird bath are limited only by the purse of the owner and the 

 skill of the craftsman. 



Frequently boulders are found scattered about over an estate, 

 the tops of which have been hollowed by the elements to a depth 

 and shape ideal for a bath. Such a natural tub for the birds may 

 be filled daily with water by means of a bucket, and is easily 

 cleaned two or three times a week by using a stiff brush and 

 sponge. Trailing or climbing vines planted about the base of the 

 boulder will soon cover its grim sides with a mantle of green, and 

 the moisture generated by the boulder itself, together with that 

 supplied from the water removed from the bath during the pro- 

 cess of cleaning, will keep the vines in a flourishing condition even 

 during the heat of summer. A judicious use of the pruning-shears 

 will keep the vines from over-running and covering the bath. 



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