THE AMERICAN MAGPIE. 23 



No. 7- 



AMERICAN MAGPIE. 



A. O. U. Xo. 475. Pica pica hudsonia (Sabine). 



Synonym. — Black-billeu Magpie. 



Description. — Adults: Lustrous black with violet, purplish, green, and 

 bronzy iridescence, brightest on wings and tail ; an elongated scapular patch pure 

 white; lower breast, upper abdomen, flanks and sides broadly pure white; 

 primaries extensively white on inner web; a broad band on rump with large 

 admixture of white ; tail narrowly graduated thru terminal three-fifths ; bill and 

 feet black; iris black. Young birds lack iridescence on head and are elsewhere 

 duller; relative length of tail sure index of age in juvenile specimens. Length of 

 adults 15.00-20.00, of which tail 8.00-12.00 (Av. 265); wing 7.85 (200J; bill 

 1-35 (35-) : tarsus 1.85 (47). 



Recognition Marl<s. — Black-and-white plumage with long tail unmistakable. 



Nesting. — Xcsf: normally a large sphere of interlaced sticks, "as big as a 

 bushel Ijasket," placed 5-40 feet high in willow, aspen, grease-wood or pine. The 

 nest proper is a contained hemisphere of mud 8-10 inches across inside, and with 

 walls 1-2 inches in thickness, carefully lined for half its depth with twigs sur- 

 moiuited by a mat of fine rootlets. Eggs: 7 or 8, rarely 10, pale grayish green, 

 quite uniformly freckled and spotted with olive green or olive brown. Occasion- 

 ally spots nearly confluent in heavy ring about larger end, in which case remainder 

 of egg likely to be less heavily marked than usual. Shape variable, rounded 

 ovate to elongate ovate. Av. size. 1.20X.88 (30.5x22.3). Season: March 20- 

 May I ; one brood. 



General Range. — Western North America chiefly in treeless or sparsely 

 timbered areas from southern Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas north to 

 northwestern Alaska. Straggles eastward to west shore of Hudson Bay, and 

 occurs casually in North Central States, Nebraska, etc. Replaced in California 

 west of the Sierras by Pica nnttalli. 



Range in Washington. — Confined to East-side during breeding season, 

 where of nearly universal distribution. Disappears along east slope of Cascades 

 and does not deeply penetrate the mountain valleys. Migrates regularly but 

 sparinglv thru mountain passes to West-side at close of breeding season. 



Authorities. — [Lewis and Clark. Hist. Ex. (1814) Ed. Biddle : Coues, Vol. 

 II. p. 185.1 r'ica hudsonka Bonap.. Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX. pt. II. 

 (1858), 578. T. C&S. Rh. D'. Ra. D-'. Ss-. Ss-'. J. B. E. 



Specimens.— ( U. of W.) P. Prov. B. E. BX. 



HERE is another of those rascals in feathers who keep one alternately 

 grumbling and admiring. As an abstract proposition one wotild not stake 

 a sou marquee on the virtue of a Magpie: but taken in the concrete, with a 

 sly wink and a saucy tilt of the tail, one will rise to his feet, excitedly 

 shouting, "Go it, Jackity," and place all his earnings on this pie-liald steed 

 in the race for avian honors. It is impossible to exaggerate this curious 

 contradiction in Magpie nature, and in our resulting attitude towards it. 

 It is much the same with the mischievous small boy. He has surpassed the 



