MAGPIE. 569 



colouring. In general, they are regularly ovate, or a little 

 pointed, about an inch and five twelfths long, eleven and a 

 half twelfths or an inch across ; but sometimes more elongated 

 by one twelfth of an inch, or abbreviated by nearly the same 

 quantity. Frequently they are pale green, freckled all over 

 with umber brown and light purple, and sometimes pale blue 

 with smaller spots and dots of the same dark colours, so as very 

 nearly to resemble the eggs of the Jay, which however are 

 smaller. 



Although the Magpie frequently breeds more than once in 

 the same nest, yet in first choosing a spot for breeding in, it 

 sometimes constructs two or more, partially or wholly in the 

 same year, deserting them for some reason best known to itself. 

 Mr. W. H. White, in Loudon's Magazine of Natural History, 

 vol. IX, p. 350, gives an account of a nest which had been 

 repaired and used six successive seasons, but having attained 

 an extraordinary size, was blown down by a violent storm. 

 The Rev. Mr. Stanley mentions another instance, accompanied 

 by several interesting particulars, observed by "a gentleman 

 when making an excursion in a remote and barren part of the 

 north of Scotland."' " Observing the Magpies hopping round a 

 gooseberry bush, and flying in and out of it in an extraordinary 

 manner, he noticed the circumstance to the owners of the house 

 in which he was, who informed him that as there were no 

 trees in the neighbourhood, they had for several years built 

 their nest and brought up their young in that bush. And that 

 foxes, cats, hawks, &c. might not interrupt them, they had 

 barricadoed not only the nest, but the bush itself, all round, 

 with briers and thorns, in a formidable manner. The materials 

 in the inside of the nest were soft, warm, and comfortable to 

 the touch, but all round, on the outside, so rough, strong, and 

 firmly entwined with the bush, that, without a hedge-knife, or 

 something of the kind, even a man could not, without much 

 pain and trouble, get at their young ; the barrier from the outer 

 to the inner edge being above a foot in breadth. Frogs, mice, 

 worms, or anything living were plentifully brought to their 

 young. One day, one of the parent birds attacked a rat, but 

 not being able to kill it, one of the young ones came out of the 



