A TERRIBLE RETRIBUTION. 73 



elapsed, was covered with magpies working at 

 the eyes, lips, sores, and soft skin inside the 

 thighs. It was the most singular spectacle I ever 

 witnessed. One after the other the birds rolled 

 from off the dead mule, and as they fell and 

 died, others greedily took their vacant places ; 

 and so this terrible slaughter went on, until the 

 heaps of dead magpies nearly buried the body ol 

 the mule. Two foxes, one cayote, several Indian 

 dogs, and a large wolf, on the day following the 

 mule's demise, lay dead by the side of the poi- 

 soned birds. It was a terrible revenge how far 



o 



justifiable is a matter of opinion. The packers, 

 of course, were in wild glee at the entire success 

 of the scheme. 



The magpie builds much the same kind of nest 

 as our British species, lays seven or eight eggs, 

 and commences nesting in March, long before the 

 snow begins to thaw. Numbers winter in the 

 interior, whilst others resort to the seacoast, and 

 feed on marine provender. They grow so tame 

 and impudent in winter, that I have often given 

 them food from my hand, without their showing 

 any evidence of fear. 



Steller's Jay ( Cyanura stitteri) makes its pre- 

 sence known by the continual utterance of a dis- 

 cordant scream ; hopping perpetually from bough 



