Birds Bathing 143 



The second bath was seen several winters later at Tilton, N. H. In a 

 back yard was a large apple tree in which a semi-albino Robin and its mate 

 had nested the season before. Every day a little party of Chickadees came to 

 a food-shelf near the tree. One day a Chickadee flew to the old Robin's nest 

 and rolled about apparently taking a dust-bath in the crumbled mud walls. 

 This Chickadee or another one was seen taking this bath several times in the 

 course of the winter. 



In the summer of 1921, the writer got his drinking water from a spring in 

 a spruce and pine grove. Several times he has noted the birds bathing in the 

 spring. In each case the bird stood in the spring and splashed until thoroughly 

 wet. The species were White-throated Sparrows, Goldfinches, Hermit Thrushes 

 Bay-breasted Warblers, Black-throated Green Warblers, and Chickadees. — 

 Edward H. Perkins, Colby College, Waterville, Maine. 



A STONE-RIMMED TUB 



A bird-bath made by a circle of stones cemented together on a huge rock 

 has besides the usual visitors, a Red-eyed Vireo who sits on one side, then 

 plunges through to the opposite rim, over and over. Towhees take a good 

 soak, often four or five in succession, then have a sun-bath on the lawn. Three 

 male Scarlet Tanagers and one female at one time, all soaked and splashed 

 thoroughly. In August the males were in molting plumage. Song Sparrows 

 Wiens, Chippies, Robins, Wood Thrushes, Catbirds, Flickers, beside the 

 others, bathe daily, during June and July. The bath always had one or more 

 birds in it, but during August it is seldom used. 



On May 22, 1917, sitting 3 feet from a shallow, swift brook, I saw the fol- 

 lowing Warblers bathe: i Blackpoll; 10 Black-throated Greens; many Mary- 

 land Yellow- throats; 5 Chestnutsided; many Blackburnians; 4 Baybreasted, 

 I pair Black- throated Blues; many Myrtles; many Canadians, and Magnolias; 

 and Redstarts. Most of them dipped and all cleaned their feathers in nearby 

 trees. It was a wonderful hour. 



In the interior of Nova Scotia I have seen many Parulas dip in deep water 

 from the overhanging twigs of the bushes and after a thorough preening, take 

 a sun-bath — Mary C. Nisbet, Irvington-oti-Hudson, N. Y. 



DUST BATHERS 



In Ernest Thompson Seton's article "Why Do Birds Bathe?" published 

 in the May- June number of Bird-Lore, I notice this statement, "The perch- 

 ing birds do not take the dust-bath except the English Sparrow, the 

 Thrasher, the Song Sparrow, and the Wren. (I am in hopes that we shall 

 add greatly to this list.)" In regard to this, I will say that I have seen a 

 Chipping Sparrow dust itself in the road near my home. 



I will also call your attention to a statement made on page 20 of 'Bird- 

 World,' a bird book for children written by J. H. Stickney and Ralph Hoffman 



