174 BULLETIN 191, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



traded and swallowed and the skin is discarded. The seeds seem to 

 be swallowed sometimes and discarded at other times. 



When magpies are feeding broods of young they sometimes discover 

 the nests of other birds and take the contents, but this happens on rare 

 occasions. Once at the end of May, in the Sacramento Valley, I ob- 

 served a commotion caused by a magpie in a large colony of nesting 

 clifif swallows. At my close approach the magpie flew out from under 

 the bridge that held the nests. It went back again and then out and 

 away. All this time the magpie was being pursued by the large flock of 

 adult swallows. Circumstances indicated clearly that the magpie was 

 there to get young swallows, which at that time filled most of the nests. 

 But no actual raid was seen. Many of the nests had long entrance 

 tunnels, and they appeared too long to permit a magpie to reach into the 

 main cavity of the nest. 



Nearly 10 years elapsed before I again found a yellow-billed magpie 

 molesting nests of small birds. In one tree where a pair of magpies and 

 three pairs of Bullock orioles each had nests, several encounters were 

 noticed between the species. One morning a magpie went to one of the 

 oriole nests and poked its head into the cavity, but just what happened 

 was not learned. It left and was pursued by the orioles. On other occa- 

 sions the orioles were particularly bold in attacking young magpies just 

 out of the nest. 



In the same season and close to this spot one magpie acquired the 

 habit of searching out and destroying linnet nests placed in crevices 

 about the farm buildings. Apparently these raids were made to get the 

 young linnets, but actual captures were not seen. 



Behavior. — The yellow-billed magpie exhibits the general manner of 

 the black-billed kind, but it appears less timid throughout its range and 

 seems to live closer to human habitations. Possibly the black-billed 

 magpie would respond just as quickly to the near presence of people if 

 permitted to do so, but it regularly encounters a more aggressive dis- 

 favor. Whatever the cause, it appears obvious that the birds live 

 closer about houses in California and they encounter less molestation. 

 This means that it is easier to study them, for they willingly permit 

 approach in many places to within 10 or 15 feet. At the same time they 

 retain the capability of cautiously watching for danger, and they quickly 

 slip away if disturbed by shooting. Much of the area occupied by the 

 species is relatively free from this danger. 



On the ground a magpie walks, hops, runs, dodges, or makes short 

 leaps with the aid of its wings. The flight is usually short, and in the 

 wind it is wavering, for the long tail then proves to be a hindrance, 

 although ordinarily it gives the bird a graceful appearance. Types of 



