a 
—1g00-1901.] Recent Observations in Natural History. 213 
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desert the trees, but the fact of them breeding in towns, as in 
 Blacket Place in Edinburgh, demonstrates this to be a fallacy. 
At the same time, they are gradually leaving the rookery at 
The Inch, where they have bred in large numbers for very 
long, though they have not been shot for ten years. This 
_ year only one nest was built, and that was commenced on the 
15th of April, and has since been deserted after completion. 
A PECULIARITY OF THE MAGPIE. 
_ The magpie is an interesting bird, and in very considerable 
numbers breeds around Edinburgh. While a good many 
_ make their nests at Craigmillar, I generally Cee most of 
them, as I should be sorry to see them increase in numbers. 
They are merciless tyrants among the nests of other birds, 
robbing the eggs and devouring the young. 
It is a well-known fact that the magpie, like many other 
predatory birds, does not appear to mourn for long the loss of 
amate. I have repeatedly shot one off her eggs, and within 
a few days a second one shared the same fate. There appears 
to be a registry for unmarried magpies somewhere, as no sooner 
is one shot than within a day or two another mate is secured, 
and domestic arrangements go on as before. 
Last year a pair of magpies nested in a tree in the wood at 
_ the back of the garden at The Inch. When the process of 
hatching was commenced I had the bird disturbed and shot as 
‘she flew off from the nest. Early the following morning a 
number appeared, and a great deal of hilarious chattering 
around the nest indicated to my mind that, in “ piet” 
language, a wedding was going on. The hilarity was brought 
to a sudden termination by a shot from the centre of a holly 
bush, when they quickly dispersed, minus one which fell to 
the ground. This continued in the early mornings for a week, 
when no fewer than six magpies were destroyed. 
q GrowtH or Roots IN A SEWER DRAIN. 
A drain at The Inch having been choked, we had it lifted 
in order to ascertain the nature of the interruption and have 
it rectified. The contractor who laid the drain had scamped 
im VOL. IV. Q 
