566 PICA MELAXOLEUCA. 



the ground. Eaising his body as high as possible, and carry- 

 ing his tail inclined upwards, to avoid contact with the moist 

 grass, he walks a few paces, and spying an earthworm half 

 protruded from its hole, drags it out by a sudden jerk, breaks 

 it in pieces, and swallows it. Now% under the hedge he has 

 found a snail, which he will presently detach from its shell. 

 But something among the bushes has startled him, and lightly 

 he springs upwards, chattering the while, to regain his favour- 

 ite tree. It is a cat, which, not less frightened than himself, 

 runs off toward the house. The Magpie again descends, steps 

 slowly over the green, looking from side to side, stops and 

 listens, advances rapidly by a succession of leaps, and en- 

 counters a whole brood of chickens, with their mother at their 

 heels. Were they unprotected, how deliciously would the 

 Magpie feast, but alas, it is vain to think of it, for with fury 

 in her eye, bristled plumage, and loud clamour, headlong 

 rushes the hen, overturning two of her younglings, when the 

 enemy suddenly wheels round, avoiding the encounter, and 

 flies oiF after his mate. 



There again, you perceive them in the meadow, as they walk 

 about with elevated tails, looking for something eatable, al- 

 though apparently with little success. By the hedge afar off 

 are two boys with a gun, endeavouring to creep up to a flock 

 of Plovers on the other side. But the Magpies have observed 

 them, and presently rising fly directly over the field, chattering 

 vehemently, on which the whole flock takes to wing, and the 

 disappointed sportsmen sheer off in another direction. 



The food of the Magpie consists of testaceous mollusca, slugs, 

 larvse, worms, young birds, eggs, small quadrupeds, carrion, 

 sometimes grain and fruits of different kinds, in search of which 

 it frequents the fields, hedges, thickets, and orchards, occasionally 

 visits the farm-yard, prowls among the stacks, perches on the 

 house top, whence it sallies at times, and examines the dung- 

 hil and places around. Although it searches for larv?e and 

 worms in the ploughed fields, it never ventures, like the rook, 

 and several species of gull, to follow the plough as it turns 

 over each successive furrow. It has been accused of picking 

 the eyes of lambs and sickly sheep, I think with injustice ; but 



