84 WILD LIFE AND THE CAMERA 



being made ready he knew perfectly well what it 

 meant, for he would sit on my sleeve as soon as the 

 large glass tray was taken, and there wait while it 

 was washed and filled with water. The moment it 

 was full of clean water, and even before it was 

 placed on the ground, he would jump in and 

 immediately splash the water in all directions — for 

 he bathed most vigorously, so much so, indeed, that 

 at frequent intervals he had to pause to regain his 

 breath. Our other birds seemed more or less 

 suspicious of the bath, hopping round about it in an 

 undecided manner and getting in and out in a way 

 most aggravating to us who had taken the trouble 

 to give them the pleasure. One bird will never 

 take his bath in the presence of an onlooker, while 

 another always requires to be sprinkled before he 

 ventures in. But then Bluey had more sense than 

 any bird 1 have ever known ; he seemed almost 

 human as he looked into one's eyes, as though he 

 could read one's very thoughts. When called by 

 name he always answered with a chirp, and when a 

 certain note was whistled he knew full well that it 

 was to him we called, and he would reply with a 

 short song of four or five notes, accompanied by a 

 quick flapping of one wing. 



That Bluey had within him a soul for music 

 there can be no doubt. The piano in particular 

 appealed to him, for whenever it was played he 

 would sit either on the top of the instrument, on 

 the keys, or sometimes on the arm of the player. 

 No amount of banging disconcerted him. There 

 he sat, with feet widespread and head tilted 

 slightly to one side, as though in thorough 



