738 
BIRD-LIFE. 
the room for years, commencing to lord it over every 
living creature in it, squabbling with all alike, and going 
so far as to kill such fellow-captives as it can manage to 
overpower! It watches its enemy, the cat, unremittingly, 
with the greatest distrust, as soon as it appears on the 
scene; its conduct towards the dog is bold and impudent; 
and after a few days it is on the best of terms with its 
master, though it will not let slip any opportunity of escape 
that may chance to present itself, and if successful acts 
immediately as if it had never been caught. 
All Titmice have a hopping gait, and that is sideways 
or crab-like, one foot in advance of the other. They 
never walk, excepting when forced to alight on the 
ground; otherwise they are continually climbing up and 
down the branches and twigs of trees. They cling 
adroitly to the thinnest sprig, and it is all the same to 
them whether they hang head downwards or not, whether 
they climb up or down, perpendicularly, forwards, or 
backwards. Their strong feet and sharp claws allow of 
their climbing in any position, whether that of Parrot, 
Crossbill, Woodpecker, Nuthatch, or indeed any other 
scansorial bird. Their flight is not so perfect, though it 
is light and active enough. The notes of the different 
species bear great resemblance to one another, principally 
chirruping and whistling like mice; the song is nothing 
very grand, though pleasant. 
In their search for food they render us endless service. 
They eat a great deal, feeding chiefly on the eggs and 
lame of the most destructive of all creatures,—insects ; 
seeds of weeds are less frequently eaten. No other class 
of birds are so admirably adapted by their habits to creep 
into and about all kinds of rifts, crevices, thickets, 
holes, &c., in search of these pests, which they find 
