I’ve read most of the columns, so I often recall if Cecil has covered the topic.
That was from 1986, back in the days when the columns were exclusively in newspapers - and free newspapers at that. The columns are popular, rather than scientific accounts, and back in those days Cecil frequently did not cite his sources. That said, Cecil’s more recent columns, at least the on-line versions, do include references.
Cool.
Female parrots are called hens, and baths makes them smug and happy, with lots of preening, posing and happy noises. But they are in a nice warm house with their buddies nearby.
No, not in the same sense. “Mad as a hatter” has come to describe a person who appears to not be in his right mind. In the 18th and 19th century, felt hats were popular, and mercury was used in the production of felt. People who made felt hats were exposed over time to toxic amounts of mercury, which would cause neurological damage and make its victims appear to be demented. It’s not the same thing with a drenched chicken. Unless anger causes the hen to become unhinged and begin running madly around the barnyard.
A wet hen is also mad in a different sense than a March Hare. In the spring, male hares were believed to be driven a bit nuts by mating frenzy.
Anger from having its head unhinged from its body, with the same result.