334 ZOOLOGY— BIRDS. 



PICA MELANOLEUCA, Vieill., var. HUDSONICA, (Sab). 



magpie. 



Corvuit hudxnnica. Sab., App. Narr. Franklin's Journey, 1823, 25, G71. 



Pica hudsonica, WooDii., Sitgreave'.s Exp. Zuui & Col. Riv., 18.")4, 77. — Newd., P. R. 

 R. Rep., vi, 1857, 84.— Bd., P. R. R. Rep., Beckwith's Route, y, 1857, 14.— 

 Bd., Bird.s N. A., 1858, 576.— Ken.neely, P. R. R. Rei). Whipple's Route, 

 1859, 32.— Coop. & Suckl., P. R. R. Rep., xii, pt. ii, 18(i0, 213, pi. x.w.— 

 IlAYD., Trans. Am. Phil. Soc, xii, 1802, 171.— CouKS, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 

 Phila., 1800, 93.- Cooi'EU, Birds Cal., i, 187(», 296.- Stev., U. S. Gcol. 

 Surv. Terr., 1870, 405.— Snow, Birds Kan., 1872, 12.— Merriam, U.S. Geol. 

 Surv. Terr., 1872, G87 (Idaho).— Hold, apiid Aiken, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. 

 Hist., 1872, 204. 



Pica melanoleuca var. hudsonica, CouES, Key N. A. Bird.s, 1872, 104, f. 100. — Yarrow 

 & IlENSHAW, Rep. Orn. Specs., 1872, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 20.— Hen- 

 SHAW, An. Lye. Nat. Hist. N.Y., xi, 1874,7.— /</., An. Li.st Birds Utah, 1872, 

 Wheeler's Exped., 1874, id.— Id., Rep. Orn. Specs., 1873, Wheeler's Exped., 

 1874, 65, 84, 123— CouES, Birds Northwest, 1874, 211. 



Pica caudata var. hudnoniea, Allen, Bui. Mus. Conip. Zoiil., 1872, 178 (Western Kan- 

 sas, etc.).— Bd., Brew., & Ridg., N. A. Birds, ii, 1874, 266, pi. xxxviii, f. 

 1.— Allen, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., June, 1874, 31. 



The Magpie is a common resident of Utah and Colorado, Avhere it 

 inhabits the lower portions of the mountains, the valleys, and the plain.s, 

 where the streams issue out upon them, and afford in the brush and thickets 

 of their banks an attractive home. Like most of the birds of this family, 

 their insatiable appetite renders almost everything that falls in their way a 

 tempting morsel. Insects, seeds, acorns, and offal fonn their diet ; chance 

 more than anything else determining its nature. About the slaughter house, 

 they may always be found, and occasionally they become the veriest sort 

 of camp thieves, penetrating to the innermost part of the camp in search of 

 scraps of meat. Its voice is singularly flexible, and capable of producing a 

 variety of sounds, from the guttural chuckle to the softest whistle. 



On the Huerfano River, Colorado, May 22, this species was very com- 

 mon, and many of their nests were seen among the thick branches of the 

 small trees, usually about twenty feet from the ground. These are clumsy, 

 dome-like structures, made of coarse sticks ; the bottom of the nest being 

 lined with mud. Tiie birds enter through a small hole left in the side, 

 which is scarcely to be seen from the ground. One nest contained seven 

 nearly fledged young, and as I was climbing up to e.xamiue the structiu-e, 



