154 THE BIRDS OF SUSSEX. 



the rest of the dark portions of its plumage being shot with 

 green, bronze, and steel-blue. It is exceedingly cunning, 

 and a great enemy to the game preserver, killing young 

 hares and rabbits, and stealing the eggs and young of Part- 

 ridges and Pheasants from the coops. It builds a rough and 

 bulky nest in the branches of a high tree, doming it over, 

 and composing the foundation of sticks, and the interior of 

 fibrous roots, turf^ and grass, forming a deep cup, which it 

 then plasters with clay. The dome is more lightly built of 

 the thorniest sticks, making a sort of clievaux de frise pro- 

 jecting outside in all directions. The entrance is in the side, 

 just proportioned to the size of the bird. When the female 

 is sitting, a person waiting to shoot her often finds it difficult 

 to make her leave the nest, even by striking the tree with a 

 stick, and when she does so she suddenly descends perpen- 

 dicularly, keeping the trunk of the tree between herself and 

 her foe, and thus often escapes for a time. It, however, 

 sometimes chooses for its site a thick hedge, or closely grown 

 hawthorn, perhaps quite low down, and when this is the case 

 it is called in Sussex the '* Bush Magpie.^^ 



It formerly bred freely in all parts of the Weald, but, 

 from constant persecution, it has now betaken itself chiefly 

 to the thorn-trees in the deep valleys of the Downs. Great 

 numbers were formerly taken in steel traps baited with a 

 hen^s egg, this being an irresistible attraction. 



It is a faA'Ourite cage-bird, being amusing in its actions, 

 and readily tamed, and taught to talk, imitating, of its own 

 accord, the various noises around it. 



Besides the food already mentioned, it has a strong pen- 

 chant for cherries and peas. 



