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I was watching the Pekins wash one day, and it reminded

me very much of my youth, to strike again the keynote in

which this roundabout article was first pitched. Their bath is

an oval baking tin about three inches deep and eight inches

long, and they went in at one end and out at the other as fast as

the eye could follow them ; but in one little matter their practice

differed from what I remember of mine—they went through

under the water, while I should have gone as much as possible

over it; and then came out very wet, wherein is no parallel. In

about five minutes they were dry again, and repeated the

performance, and at the end of a hot day the two quarts or so

of water which the bath holds, are mostly bestowed on the floor

all round, and only the sediment of the Leiolriches remains.

(Please do not, Mr. Secretary, alter this latter word when you

are looking over my proof. The proper scientific name of the

Pekin Nightingale is Leiothrix, which comes from the Greek

leios, smooth, and thrix, hair : and my husband, who is a

profound Greek scholar, says the proper scientific plural of the

Pekin Nightingale’s name is Leiotriches . Perhaps some people

may find it difficult to believe this, and in fact one or two have

kicked at it before now : but none of them were Greek scholars,

and so I am very proud of it. I am the only person in the

Society who knows the proper plural, and I will not be done out

of it.)*


The Leiotriches then, are very fond of making nests, but

they are not extravagant over it, for the same material can be

used over and over again. They have made at least six since

February, and have taken us in with every one of them. “ My

last attempt ” sa} 7 s the hen, coming out of the muddled heap of

hay and withered leaves, “ was unfortunately abortive: this

time, I assure you there is no mistake. In fact, I am in a

position to guarantee a new laid egg for to-morrow,” and we

always believe her, and tell one another in whispers that the

Pekins are reall} 7 and truly nesting this time. They once did

get so far as to have an undoubted egg in one nest, but how it

got there I could not say : it was a Cutthroat’s egg, and rattled

inside when shaken.


The very latest nest has a much more business-like air

about it than any of its predecessors : it is not so boldly self-

assertive and does not rock about so much, and it is also much

tidier and better finished off, and the cock has tied two branches

together very ingeniously, so that they make a nice hall or



* In Latinizing the name it becomes Liothrix ; -would not, therefore,

the plural of the Latinized word be Liothriges ? Genera are usually derived

from the Greek and Latinized.— Ed.



