The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-12-25
TOILETS OF ANIMALS.
SAND BATHS AND WATER BATHS
FOR BEASTS AND BIRDS.
8eet OF the Smaller Creatures Are More
Particular with Their Appearance Than
. Large Part Of the Human Family.
Methods OF Some Of tile Birds

Particular with Their Appearance Than
Large Part Of the Human Family.
Methods OF Some Of tile Birds.
II ,s..ca' AMI combs most animals carry
wiz. IL Iii. ..D.illiantine" also is car
ried ia :. h-na,l and handy reservoir by
nil dues aud divers. Mud serves for
cold cream and vascline: dust for fuDer's
earth and pearl powder, and water, as
with us, Is perhaps the most important
necessary. But birds especially are
mighty particular about the quality of
their '':o.ict dust. ana equally nice as
10 the ws:er in which they prefer to
wash. Some use water only, some water
or duat. others dust and no water. Par
sridges are q good example OF the busting
birds, and are most careful in the selec-
tion of their dust baths. Dry loan suits
them Let.
But perhaps their favorite place is
meadow where d few turfs have been re-
moved. There they scratch out the
loan. and shuttle backward under the
grass roots till their feathers are full Of
the cool earth. In wet weather they
find, if possible, a heap Of burnt ashes
Oh the site of weed fire, and dust there.
Sparrows, on the contrary, always
choose road dust, the dryest and finest
possible. Larb8 also are fond of the
road, and dust there in the early morn
ing. But they, too, have their fancy,
and choose the dry, gritty part where
the horses hoofs tread.
Wild ducks, though feeding by the
b. Il. - ,x<.,-
pools, and will fly long distances inland
TO running brooks and ponds. where
they p-een and wash themselves in the
early morning. But though passing so
much time on the water, ducks seem to
prefer n shower bath to any other; and
IN heavy rain they may be seen opening
their feathers and allowing the rain to
soak in, after which they dress the
whole surface with oil from the reser-
voir which we mentioned above. Swal-
lows and martins are as nice in their
choice of bath water rs any ''profes-
hionl beauty" nothing but newly fallen
rain water thoroughly pleases them, and
if tempted to battle, it is generally by
some shallow pool in the road which All
hours sun will evaporate.
A FALCONS BATH.
We have never seen hawks or falcons
bathing when wild. Trained birds in
good health battle almost daily, and the
bath of peregrine falcon is a very care
full performance. But no nymph could
be more jealous Ct a witness than these
shy birds, and it is not until after many
careful glances in every direction that
L. 81 IL, TO- ~
wades into the shallow bath. Then. af-
ter more suspicious glances, she thrusts
her broad head under the water and
filings it on her back, at the same time
raising the feathers and letting the drops
thoroughly soak them.
After bathing head and back she
spreads her wings and tail fan like on
the water and rapidly opens and shuts
them, after which she stoops down and
splashes the drops in every direction.
The bath over, she flies once more to
the block, and turning her back to the
sun, spreads every feather of the wing
and tail, raises those on the body and
assists the process of drying by trem-
ulous motion impaired to every quill,
looking more like an old ccrmorant on a
buoy than peregrine.
Cats, large and small, make the most
careful toilet of any class of animal,
with the exception of some of the opos-
sums. The lions and tigers wash them
selves in exactly the same manner as the
cat, wetting the dark, India rubber like
ball of the fore foot and the inner toe,
and passing it over the face and behind
the ears.
CLEANLINESS OF A DOG.
One Of the most charming pets we
have kept, and the most particular as to
washing and brushing its feet and fur,
was lovely brown opossum from Tas-
mania ''Sooty phalangist" was, we be-
heve, its scientific name. 1t was COW
cred with deep rich brown fur, had a
face something like fox, pink nose,
hands with q nailless thumb, and long
claws on the fingers. 1t washed its feet
every two or three minutes.
Water rats are very clean animals,
and wash and brush their faces like
Christians" We saw one ON pond at
Yelling, in Kent, swim out to pick up
the blossoms of an acacia tree which
were falling on the water. After
.daintily eating each flower on the bank
licked his hands, wiped his mus
Aaud swan off for another. We
m acacia blossom, but except
h'v flavor, could find moth
b ,o,nor the rats taste fol-
=, which are used III
.n tho wet, are strangely
in cleaning and driving