ia lloyd"s natural history. 



In the Eastern Himalayas a black-rumped form occurs (P. 



bottatunsis), while in South-eastern Spain an intermediate form 



is found, and further in Algeria and Morocco P. mauritanica 



< s the ordinary European species. In California is found 



■ billed Magpie {P. nuttalli). 



I. THE MAGPIE. TICA PICA. 



Corvus pica, Linn., S. N., i., p. 157 (1766). 



, Br. I'.., L, p. 562 (1837). 

 Pica ntslica, Dress< r, B. Eur., iv., p. 509, pi. 260, fig. 2 (1873); 

 Newt ed. Varr., ii., p. 312 (1878) j B. O. U. List Br. 

 B., p. 63 (1883); Saunders, .Man., p. 227 (1889). 



luJata, Seeb., Hist. Br. B., i., p. 562 (1883); Lilford, Col. 

 Fig. Brit. B., pt. xii. (1890). 

 Pica pica, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus., iii., p. 62 (1S77). 



Adult Male. — Black, with green and coppery reflections ; 

 rump with an ashy-white bar; a white shoulder-patch; tail dark 

 green, black at the end, before which the feathers are coppery, 

 and then purplish red to purplish blue ; throat black, with 

 grey streaks ; rest of under surface pure white ; thighs and 

 under wing-coverts black, with a green shade; bill and legs 

 blaek ; iris brown. Total length, 16 inches; Oilmen, 1-5; 

 wing, 7-9; tail, 9-8; tarsus, 1-95. 



Sexes alike, the female being merely a little duller in colour. 



Young. — Like the adults, but much more dingily coloured. 



Bange in Great Britain. — Generally distributed throughout the 

 British Islands, though absent in some parts of Scotland, 

 and the outlying islands. In many parts of the southern and 

 south-eastern counties of England now of rare occurrence. 



Ran?e outside the British Islands. — Generally distributed 

 it Europe and Northern Asia to China, and also 

 occurring over the greater part of North America. 



tiland species, still plentiful in some of the mid- 

 land counties, but regarded with great enmity by the farmer and 

 gamek jards its food, it is practically omnivorous, 



fruit and grain, small mammals and dead birds, 

 and young of poultry and game; but aUo useful from the 



