1896-97-] The Magpie. 223 



antipathy towards her. He showed the same disposition to 

 children that came about the door. Some he was quite 

 friendly with ; others he chased away, striking their legs 

 with his bill and scolding them in an unknown tongue. He 

 was found frequently in the school playground, and he enjoyed 

 a country stroll like any field naturalist — especially in my 

 company or with my daughters. He would fly some distance 

 in front, light on a rail, tree, or wall, and wait his companions' 

 coming. Then in the summer-time the swallows annoyed 

 him by trying, as I thought, to strike him with their wings. 

 His method of protection was to seat himself on the second 

 spar from the top of a fence or gate, where the swallows 

 would not pass through on the wing. One Sunday he fol- 

 lowed my wife and daughters to the church. He did not 

 venture in, but took his stand in one of the windows and 

 wisely looked inside. I could never discover that his con- 

 nection with the church in this case improved his morals or 

 his manners. But perhaps the same may be said of many 

 others who frequent the synagogue — from the time of the 

 Pharisees of Judea to their counterparts of the present day. 



Although this bird would wander with me anywhere on the 

 low ground, yet he never would go with me to the hills or 

 approach a wood where wild magpies were. I could not give 

 any reason for this, until I mentioned the fact to my brother, 

 who happened to be on a visit. " Oh," he said, " I can explain 

 that : he would be chased away by the wild birds, if he 

 has not already been chased by them. When I was a young 

 man residing at Blair Athole I had a tame raven. He used to 

 go with me to the hills in Glen Tilt, but whenever he saw 

 any of the wild ravens he took wing, strong and straight and 

 swift, for home. But once he went too far, — tried to make 

 for shelter, pursued by a number of the wild birds, was 

 overtaken and killed." I believe this accounted for Jack's 

 antipathy to the hills and the woods. 



With the more sociable rook it is different. A tame rook 

 lived in the village of Letham, in Fife, for many years. This 

 bird used to go into the fields in the spring-time, take unto 

 himself a wife, assist to build the nest, and rear the family 

 in Melville House policies, and, when all his duties were over, 

 return to his friends in the village for the rest of the year. 



VOL. III. q 



