50 FOOD AND HABITS OF MAGPIES. 



" They fed the young brood with frogs, mice, 

 worms, or anything living, within their power to sub- 

 due. It once happened that one of the magpies hav- 

 ing seized a rat, which it was not able to kill, one of 

 the young ones came out of the nest to its mother and 

 the rat, while they were fighting on the outside of the 

 bush, and assisted her to kill it, which they were not 

 able to accomplish, till the father, arriving with a 

 dead mouse, also lent his aid. 



" These magpies had been faithful to one another 

 for several summers, and drove off their young, as 

 well as every one else that attempted to take posses- 

 sion of their nest. This they carefully repaired and 

 fortified in the spring, with strong, rough, prickly 

 sticks, that they sometimes brought to it by uniting 

 their force, one at each end pulling it along, when 

 they were not able to lift it from the ground." 



Believing that the whole circle of naturalists at the 

 Parsonage cannot find you such another pair of mag- 

 pies, I send you the narrative — 



And am, as ever, your affectionate 



Emily. 



