BATHING HABITS OF OUR BIRDS 193 
in many of its verdicts, must be strictly applied if we would rescue 
Zoology from becoming a mere chaos of names. 
To the following specialists and malacologists I am indebted 
for aid and advice in the preparation of this paper: Dr. A. EK. 
Ortmann; of the Carnegie Museum at Pittsburg; Dr. Josua Lindahl, 
* Chicago; Drs. Dall and Bartsch of the U. S. National Museum; 
Dr. H. A. Pilsbry, of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences; 
Mr. Chas. W. Johnson, Curator of the Boston Society of Natural 
History; Dr. Edw. S. Morse, Director of the Peabody Museum; 
Mr. Frank C. Baker, Curator of the Chicago Academy of Sciences; 
and Mr. Edgar A. Smith, of the British Museum. 
Upper Iowa University, 
Fayette, Iowa. 
BATHING HABITS OF OUR BIRDS. 
= > 
The writer has often thought that a very interesting article 
might be prepared by some careful observer on the bathing habits 
of our birds. These observations would be very valuable, for 
no writer has as yet given us any adequate information on this 
subject. In order to obtain the facts about the bathing habits 
of our birds, the observer will have to Spend much time at some 
lake-side where birds usually go to bathe. The writer has thus 
far made but few observations on this subject. He gives them 
more to stimualte interest in, rather than to offer complete knowl- 
edge of, this phase of bird-life. 
Two distinct methods are observable in the bathing habits 
of birds. The more common way is by wading into the water 
and wetting the head and body. The less common method 
is by flying out over the water and dipping so as to wet the 
entire body. 
Among the species that bathe by wading are the Crow, Purple 
Grackle, Blue Jay, Indigo Bird, Robin, Goldfinch, Catbird, Brown 
Thrasher, Song Sparrow, Crowbird, Baltimore Oriole, Towhee. 
In winter the Crow bathes where the water in not frozen at the 
edge of lakes. The Purple Grackle also bathes in very cold weather. 
The Blue Jay looks blackish after bathing. The Robin bathes 
frequently in warm weather. 
