202 BIDING THE LEAVES. 



ing and whenever I moved it an inch, though 

 the other birds liked it and were on it half the 

 time. When he did get used to it he did not 

 go upon it, but to the standard below, where 

 he could pick the needle-like leaves and carry 

 them off to hide about the room. 



The blue-jay took his bath in an original way 

 as he did everything else. First, he stood be- 

 side the wide, shallow dish, looked at it, then 

 at me and all around the roojn, one wing droop- 

 ing and the other laid jauntily over the back, 

 while he talked in a low tone, as if he said, " If 

 anybody is going to object, now is the time." 

 No one ventured to dispute his right, and sud- 

 denly he plumped into the middle, neither 

 alighting on the edge nor testing the water. 

 Then there was a lively frolic, with taU spread, 

 crest raised, wings beating, and the water flying 

 several feet around. He was a very beautiful 

 bird when in perfect plumage. There were six 

 distinct shades of blue, besides rich velvety 

 black, snowy white, delicate dove color, and 

 blue-gray. He is too well known to need de- 

 scription, but a jay is not often so closely seen 

 when alive and in perfection of plumage. This 

 bird had a charming way of folding his wings 

 that hid all the plain blue-gray. When held 

 thus and laid together over the back, there were 

 displayed first the beautiful tail, with broad 



