which was caught and fed to the gray bird that now sat 
with open moyth and quivering wings teasing for a meal. 
’ Then another young member of that family awkwardly flew _ 
up from a lower limb and lit with its feet across the branch 
in a most unwoodpecker fashion. Now was understood the 
cause of the attack upon the crows, for they were not wel- 
come guests in the home tree of the Lewis family. | 
As this tree was in the yard of a friend, the student — 
ventured to its base and came upon a bird bath made of a 
black baking-pan fastened to the stump of an alder. The 
fresh water and white sand placed in this. protected spot _ 
gave a chance to see how differently a Russet-backed Thrush 
takes its bath from a Rusty Song Sparrow. Rusty flew — 
from one rim to another, all around the pan before he 
ventured into the water, where he stood quietly soaking his 
feet. Then down he squatted, and made the drops fly for a 
moment before he jumped to the edge to look himself over. 
Not satisfied, in he plunged again, once more making a 
waterwheel of his wings. Five times he was in and out, as 
if he intended to spend his day in his tub, but the muffled 
“Bedelia, Amelia, Cordelia” song of the thrush was heard 
in the shrubbery end Rusty flew to the top of a gate to dry. 
| In the shadows the thrush whistled his liquid, pearl- 
like “quit” note several times before he ventured to an 
elder-berry bush near the bath, where he nibbled at the red 
fruit before flying directly into the water. Down went his 
head under the surface, then his tail, and he teetered front 
and rear with an occasional slow flutter of his wings. Fly- _ 
ing to a sheltered branch he shook himself slightly, then 
back twice to dampen both ends again. His audience fancied 
he was scarcely wet until he took his stand upon the white 
_ surface of a secluded stump in the sunshine, and she saw 
that all his feathers stood awry, showing his moist pink 
skin through them. Each plume was then preened with 
beak and claws, and shaken out with graceful movements, 
until he stood, a dignified artist fit to sing at any court, 
as well as to his companions along the shore. | 
79 
