A Tomtit in a Swoon. 159 
always perched on a thin iron projection which held 
the window open, and uttered her singularly loud 
notes, their metallic clearness seeming to make the 
chamber ring. Starlings often perched on the same 
iron slide, and sparrows continually; but only the 
robin and wren came inside. Tomtits occasionally 
entered and explored the same board-lining of ‘the 
window, but no farther. They will, however, some- 
times explore a room. 
I know a parlour the window of which was partly 
overhung by a similar pear tree, besides which there 
were some shrubs just outside, and into this room, 
being quiet and little used, the tomtits ventured 
every now and then. I fancy the placing of flowers 
in vases on the table or on the mantelpiece attracts 
birds to rooms, if they are still. Insects visit the 
flowers; birds look for the insects: and this room 
generally abounded with cut flowers. Entering it 
suddenly one day, a tomtit flew from side to side in 
great agitation, and then dropped on the floor and 
allowed me to pick it up without an effort to escape. 
The bird had swooned from fright, and was quite 
helpless—the eyes closed. On being placed outside 
the window, in five minutes it came to itself and flew 
off feebly. In this way birds may frequently become 
a prey to cats and hawks when to all appearance 
they might easily escape—becoming so overwhelmed 
with alarm as to lose the power of motion. 
The robin is a most pugnacious creature. He 
