ANIMALS TOILETTES 17 



tage of this habit to teach his seals to beat a 

 tambourine ! On one occasion a tambourine was 

 missing, but this made no difference to the seal, 

 who fanned himself instead, though anxiously looking 

 round for his instrument. 



But fans are hardly needed for the toilette. 

 Brushes and combs most animals carry with them. 

 ' Brilliantine ' also is carried in a small and handy 

 reservoir by all ducks and divers. Mud serves for 

 cold cream and vaseline ; dust for Fuller's earth 

 and pearl powder ; and water, as with us, is perhaps 

 the most important necessary. But birds especially 

 are mighty particular about the quality of their 

 4 toilette-dust,' and equally nice as to the water in 

 which they prefer to wash. Some use water only, 

 some water or dust, others dust and no water. 

 Partridges are a good example of the dusting birds, 

 and are most careful in the selection of their dust- 

 baths. Dry loam suits them best. But perhaps 

 their favourite place is a meadow where a few 

 turfs have been removed. There they scratch out 

 the loam, and shuffle backwards under the grass 

 roots till their feathers are full of the cool earth. 

 In wet weather they find, if possible, a heap of 

 burnt ashes on the site of a weed-fire, and dust 

 there. Sparrows, on the contrary, always choose 

 road-dust, the driest and finest possible. Larks 



B 



