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is usually accounted for on the 

 hypothesis that it was introduced from 

 China into Spain by early travellers 

 between the two countries. 



Nest and Eggs. — This Magpie breeds 

 in colonies in high trees around the 

 villages in the plains. The nest is 

 placed high up on the fork of a sma.ll 

 branch. It is built upon a foundation 

 of coarse sticks, but the real nest is 

 constructed largely of moss, with often 

 a good deal of mud in the base. It is 

 lined with moss, hair, or fibers of 

 various kinds. We have observed 

 these birds stripping the fibers from a 

 cedar tree to be used in lining the nest. 



The eggs are greenish gray or olive 

 brown, spotted and streaked with 

 shades of brown, and purplish gray. 

 There is considerable variation, both 

 in the ground color and the markings 

 of the eggs. 



THE CHINESE BLUE MAGPIE. 



UEOCISSA SINENSIS (lINN.) 

 Description. — Length twenty - five 

 inches. Bill and tarsus coral red. 



Forehead, sides of the neck, and 

 breast, intense black. The feathers of 

 the crown are tipped lilac, and the 

 nape is violet gray. Back violet gray. 

 Abdomen gray, washed with violet. 

 Outer webs of wing feathers washed 

 with blue, the edges and ends are 

 white, and the inner webs black. The 

 tail is long, blue, and graduated. The 

 two central feathers, very much the 

 longest, curved down at the tips, are 

 a rich blue color, tipped with white. 



Immature birds are gray on the 

 whole head, throat, and upper back, 

 darker on the sides of the head. 



