TlIK MAGl'lK. 207 



AUuUino' to (he use of man'pics in lunvking, Sir Tolm Sebriglit siij's : " Nothing c;in ho 



more aniiimling than this sport ; it is, in my opinion, far superior to every other kind of 



ha^^•king. The object of tho chase is fully a mati;h for its pursuers — a requisite 



absolutely necessary to give an Interest to any sport of this kind ; and it has the 



advantage of giving full employment to the company, which is not the case in partridge 



hawking. \ down or common, where low trees or thorn bushes are dispersed at the 



distance of from thirty to fifty yards apart, is the place best calculated for this diversion. 



When a magpie is seen at a distance, a hawk is immediately to bo cast off. Tho magpie 



will take refuge in a bush the moment he sees the falcon, and will remain there imtil the 



falcon arrives, ^'ith the hawk waiting on in the air. The magpie is to be driven from 



his retreat ; and the hawk, if at a good pitch, will stoop at him as he passes to another 



bush, from whence he is to be driven in the same way, another hawk having been 



pre%'iously cast off, so that one or the other may always be so situated as to attack him to 



advantage. The second hawk is necessary, for the magpie shifts with great cunning and 



dexterity to avoid the stoop ; and when hard pressed, owing to the bushes being rather 



far apart, will pass imder the bellies of the horses, flutter along a cart-rut, and avail 



himself of every little inequality of the groimd in order to escape. Pour or five 



assistants, besides the falconer, -who shoidd attend solely to his hawks, are required for 



this sport. They should be well moimted, and provided with whips ; for the magpie 



cannot be driven from a bush by a stick ; but the crack of a whip will force him to leave 



it, even when he is so tired as hardly to be able to fly. The magpie wiU always 



endeavour to make his way to some strong cover ; care, therefore, must be taken to 



coimteract him, and to drive him to that part of the groimd where the bushes are 



farthest from each other. It is not easy to take a magpie in a hedge. Some of the 



horsemen must be on each side of it ; some must ride behind, and some before him ; for 



unless compelled to rise, by being sm-rounded on all sides, he will flutter along the 



hedge, so as to shelter himself from the stoop of the falcon. Many requisites are 



necessary to afford this sport in perfection : — a favourable countiy, good hawks, and 



able assistants." 



With the Pies is usually placed the Pica Vagabunda, a species found in the East. 



The Tcrnia have with the carriage and tail of the Pies, an elevated bill, with the 

 upper mandible gibbous, and the base furnished with velvety feathers almost like the 

 birds of paradise. 



