268 Northern Observations of Inland Birds 



them in a single tree, though why they foregather it is 

 hard to say, for they do not seem specially pleased to 

 see each other. They fight and dispute over apparently 

 nothing at all, till eventually the social gathering splits 

 up amidst a general atmosphere of discord. 



The loquacious magpie has no more friends than the 

 other two, and I would certainly set him down as the 

 most destructive of the three. Though not a very 

 formidable bird either in size or equipment, he is so 

 audacious and persistent that he is feared alike by the 

 small song birds and by game birds, and not without 

 good reason. 



The magpie is about the most active egg thief that we 

 have. A family of them will destroy every small bird's 

 nest in their immediate vicinity when once they have really 

 taken to this method of hunting, and much as one 

 appreciates Jock's gay plumage and bright manners, 

 he is undoubtedly a holy terror in the lives of his 

 neighbours. i 



Early one morning I noticed two magpies behaving in 1 

 an excited and curious manner among some heather 

 between two strips of pine wood on a Yorkshire moor. 

 They appeared to be mobbing something — probably a | 

 stoat, I concluded, but moving cautiously I obtained a 1 

 better view. They were trying to drive off a hen grouse, 

 which, though obviously her task was a hopeless one, J 

 was putting up a plucky resistance, using her wings and 

 claws in desperate efforts to hold her own. 



One of the magpies was on the ground and doing most 

 of the fighting, while the other was flying round always 

 within a few feet, and apparently heading off every attack 

 the grouse made, striking her with his wings and generally 

 bewildering her. Both of them were as quick as weasels, 

 and evidently seriously intent on business, and anyone 

 seeing them would have realized that the game bird 



