TRANSIENT GUESTS IN THE BIRD-ROOM. 149 



Another thing the goldfinch learned from his 

 mate, beside good manners, and that was to 

 bathe. He had always contented himself with 

 wetting his bill and passing it through his plu- 

 mage, and he was astonished when she went 

 into the water and splashed. He stood on the 

 edge of the dish, circling round it in the great- 

 est excitement. I could not tell whether he 

 feared for her safety, or grudged her having so 

 much pleasure out of a thing he did not appre- 

 ciate. Whatever his motive, she plainly ad- 

 vised him to attend to his own affairs, and spat- 

 tered as long as she liked. Every day this 

 curious performance was repeated, till at the 

 end of a week he actually roused his courage 

 enough to go in and try it for himself. His 

 pride and delight were droll to see. He called 

 to me, sang little snatches of song while in the 

 water, and splashed nearly every drop out of 

 the dish ; and although his transports moder- 

 ated after a while, he has never from that day, 

 which was four years ago, neglected to take a 

 most thorough bath. 



This couple, however, proved to be incom- 

 patible ; every question that arose had to be 

 quarreled over and settled at the point of the 

 bill, and for the sake of peace the little stranger 

 was given away into a new home. 



