and that he did enjoy. He would cower down, and lie with his wings
expanded and beak open, receiving charge after charge of water till
quite out of breath; then he would run a few paces away on his island
till he recovered himself, and then would go back and place himself
ready for a renewed douche. I never saw such a plucky bird. If I had
been trying to drown him I could not have done more, for sometimes he
was knocked backwards into the pool; but no matter, he was up again, and
all ready in a minute. He generally tired me out, and when I turned off
the fountain, he would either fly or run after me into the drawing-room
and go into his cage, which always stood there; and there followed a
very careful toilette--a general oiling and pluming and fluttering,
until his bonnie little feathers were all in good order; and then would
follow endless chatter, and he would inform the world that he was a
"little beauty," "pretty little dear," &c.

Starlings seem to have an abundant supply of natural oil in the gland
where it is stored, for his feathers were never really much wetted by
his tremendous baths, and he was a slippery fellow to hold, his plumage
was so glossy and sleek.

A word must be said about his temper; it was decidedly not meek by any
means, and his will was strong, so the least thing would bring a shower
of pecks in token of disapproval, and if scolded his attitude was most
absurd; he would draw himself up to a wonderful height, set up his crest
feathers, and stand ready to meet all comers, like a little fighting
cock; and when a finger was pointed at him he would scold and peck, and
flap with his wings with the utmost fury; and yet if a kind word was
said all his wrath vanished, and he would come on your hand and prize
your fingers apart, looking for grubs as usual. It seemed strange that
his habit of thus searching for insects everywhere should continue,
though he was never by any chance rewarded by finding one. A starling's
range of ideas may be summed up in the word "Grubs." It was always
immensely amusing to strangers to see Richard, when out in the room,
searching with his inquisitive beak in the most hopeless places with a
cheerful happy activity, as if he always felt sure that long-looked-for
grub, for which he had searched all the years of his life, must be close
by, round the corners somewhere, under the penwiper, behind that book,
amongst these coloured silks; and if interfered with he would give a
pec