1896-97-] The Magpie. 219 



Mause Headrig was fleeing from Claverhouse's dragoons she 

 scrambled over a dike, and Scott says that in doing so her 

 curch flew off. Indeed the " curchie " forms the basis of one 

 of our Scottish proverbs — " Cleanliness is couthie, as the wife 

 said when she turned her curchie." 



The article with which this paper had chiefly to do was, 

 however, not the " curchie," but the " sooback " or " froudie." 

 Two of these were exhibited, both over one hundred years old. 

 One of them was a widow's, with a black band of velvet over 

 the top from immediately behind the front, down on either 

 side to the chin. The second one was made of finer material, 

 and was worn underneath the other when the wearer was at 

 kirk or market, or visiting friends. The " sooback " may still 

 be seen in some of the Western Highland districts, but it has 

 long ago almost entirely ceased to be worn in the Lowlands. 

 The last of them the writer saw was about the fifth decade of 

 this century. 



A description was given of the dress worn by a woman 

 along with the " sooback." The paper contained many allu- 

 sions found in Scottish poetry to lint and the other matters 

 treated of. 



V.—THU MAGPIE. 

 By Mr A. CAMPBELL. 



{Read Jan. 27, 1897.) 



Since " trifles make the sum of human things," I am going 

 to add a trifle to the general sum by giving a short biography 

 of a tame magpie. As a preface, I may mention that the 

 most of what I am to read now was written in an idle hour 

 some ten years ago, and that it was never intended to be 

 seen or read by any one except myself. 



This magpie was bred in the top of a tree growing on the 

 Binn Hill in Fife, well known to geologists as the remains 

 of an ancient volcano. Its birth was not registered, so I 

 am unable to give day and date. It was brought up by 



