60 THE WILSON QUARTERLY 



prising; some having been found as much as three feet 

 long, and others, shorter ones, as much as three-fourths of 

 an inch in thickness; these last however are rather remark- 

 able exceptions. 



The average set of eggs is eight, although nine is not in- 

 frequent and one set of ten eggs is recorded. Breeding be- 

 gins in the latter part of March and is at its height in the 

 middle of A pril. 



Although for the most part the birds keep at a respectful 

 distance, occasionally an over-bold one comes near enough 

 to give you a sound scolding. It is an experience to be re- 

 membered, being up in a thorn tree on a windy day, cling- 

 ing with one hand to a branch, and with the other trying 

 to force an entrance to a magpie^s stronghold, while the 

 wind blows the thorns against you, and the magpie,, 

 perched just out of reach, gives you a good curtain lecture. 



Of the magpie in captivit}" much has been written, be- 

 ginning as far back as Plutarch; and small wonder, for 

 surely nothing could succeed better in entertaining than 

 the sly genius and originality of a tame magpie. His well 

 known penchant for hiding bits of meat and chance odds 

 and ends " for future reference " is a constant source of 

 amusement. But he is not to be trusted around the poultry- 

 yard if once he acquires a taste for eggs. I once saw a 

 magpie flying away from a hen coop with a hen's egg in 

 its bill, and I watched it till it h'ghted several rods away. 

 I immediately frightened it away and the egg was not 

 pierced, broken, or in any way injured, but showed simply 

 the dirty marks of the magpie's bill. The egg was of me- 

 dium size and certainly made quite a mouthful for such a 

 bird. 



Last year, in the latter part of May, I succeeded in cap- 

 turing a couple of 3'oung birds which evidently had quitted 

 the nest several days before. The indignation of the par- 

 ent birds knew no bounds. I have taken quite a little 

 " sauce" from birds, but I think I never before stood under 

 such a torrent of abuse as those birds heaped upon me 

 when I held up their fledgelings. They could not find ad- 



