200 BRITISH BIRDS. 



<3>f ft)c 



THIS diminutive tribe is distinguished by a pe- 

 culiar sprightliness and vivacity, to which may be 

 added a degree of strength and courage, which by 

 no means agrees with its appearance. They are 

 perpetually in motion ; running with great celerity 

 along the branches of trees, searching in every 

 little cranny, where the eggs of insects are de- 

 posited, which are their favourite food. During 

 spring they are observed to be very busy among 

 the opening buds in search of caterpillars, and 

 are thus actively employed in preventing the mis- 

 chiefs that \vould arise from a too great increase 

 of destructive insects, whilst at the same time, 

 they are intent on the means of their own pre- 

 servation; they likewise eat small pieces of raw 

 meat, particularly fat, of which they are very fond. 

 None of this kind have been observed to migrate: 

 they sometimes make short flittings from place to 

 place in quest of food, but never entirely leave us. 

 They are very bold and daring, and will attack 

 birds much larger than themselves. Buffon says, 

 "they pursue the Owl with great fury, and in their 

 attacks aim chiefly at the eyes : their actions on 

 these occasions are attended with a swell of the 

 feathers, and a succession of violent attitudes and 

 rapid movements, which strongly mark the bit- 

 terness of their rage. They will sometimes attack 

 birds smaller and weaker than themselves, which 

 they kill, and having picked a hole in the skull, 

 they eat out the brains." The nests of most of 



