132 MAGPIE. 



Britain ; as appears by accounts from that quarter, where premiums, it 

 is said, are offered for his head, as an arch poacher ; and penalties in- 

 flicted on all those who permit him to breed on their premises. Under 

 the lash of such rigorous persecution, a few years will probably exter- 

 minate the whole tribe from the island. He is also destructive to 

 gardens and orchards ; is noisy and restless, almost constantly flying 

 from place to place ; alights on the backs of the cattle, to rid them of 

 the larvae that fester in the skin ; is content with carrion when nothing 

 better offers; eats various kinds of vegetables, and devours greedily 

 grain, worms, and insects of almost every description. When domes- 

 ticated, he is easily taught to imitate the human voice, and to articulate 

 words pretty distinctly ; has all the pilfering habits of his tribe, filling 

 every chink, nook, and crevice with whatever he can carry off; is subject 

 to the epilepsy, or some similar disorder ; and is, on the whole, a crafty, 

 restless, and noisy bird. 



He generally selects a tall tree adjoining the farm-house, for his nest, 

 which is placed among the highest branches ; this is large, composed 

 outwardly of sticks, roots, turf, and dry weeds, and well lined with wool, 

 cow hair, and feathers ; the whole is surrounded, roofed, and barrica- 

 doed with thorns, leaving only a narrow entrance. The eggs are usually 

 five, of a greenish color, marked with numerous black or dusky spots. 

 In the northern parts of Europe,- he migrates at the commencement of 

 winter. 



In this country the Magpie was first taken notice of at the factories 

 or trading houses on Hudson's Bay, where the Indians used sometimes 

 to bring it in, and gave it the name of Heart-bird^ for what reason is 

 uncertain. It appears, however, to be rather rare in that quarter. 

 These circumstances are taken notice of by Mr. Pennant and other 

 British naturalists. 



In 1804, the exploring party under the command of Lewis and Clark, 

 on their route to the Pacific Ocean across the continent, first met with 

 the Magpie somewhere near the great bend of the Missouri, and found 

 that the number of these birds increased as they advanced. Here also 

 the Blue Jay disappeared ; as if the territorial boundaries and jurisdic- 

 tion of these two noisy and voracious families of the same tribe had 

 been mutually agreed on, and distinctly settled. But the Magpie was 

 found to be far more daring than the Jay, dashing into their very tents, 

 and carrying off the meat from the dishes. One of the hunters, who 

 accompanied the expedition, informed me that they frequently attended 

 him while he was engaged in skinning and cleaning the carcass of the 

 deer, bear, or buffalo he had killed, often seizing the meat that hung 

 within a foot or two of his head. On the shores of the Kooskoos-ke 

 river, on the west side of the great range of the Rocky Mountains, they 

 were found to be equally numerous. 



