MAGPIE. 109 



claiming aloud any apparent danger, and thereby gives notice 

 to its associates. Neither the fox, or other wild animal can 

 appear without being observed and haunted ; even the fowler 

 is frequently spoiled of his sport, for all other birds seem to 

 know the alarming chatter of the Magpie." 



Of Magpie-hawking, Sir John Sebright says, " Nothing 

 can be more animating than this sport : it is, in my opinion, 

 far superior to every other kind of hawking. The object of 

 the chase is fully a match for its pursuers, — a requisite abso- 

 lutely necessary to give an interest to any sport of this kind ; 

 and it has the advantage of giving full employment to the 

 company, which is not the case in Partridge-hawking. A 

 down or common, where low trees or thorn bushes are dis- 

 persed at the distance of from thirty to fifty yards apart, is 

 the place best calculated for this diversion. When a Mag- 

 pie is seen at a distance, a Hawk is immediately to be cast 

 off. The Magpie will take refuge in a bush the moment 

 that he sees the Falcon, and will remain there until the fal- 

 coner arrives, with the Hawk waiting on in the air. The 

 Magpie is to be driven from his retreat ; and the Hawk, if at 

 a good pitch, will stoop at him as he passes to another bush, 

 from whence he is to be driven in the same way, another 

 Hawk having been previously cast off, so that one or the 

 other may be always so situated as to attack him to advan- 

 tage. The second Hawk is necessary, for the Magpie shifts 

 Avith great cunning and dexterity to avoid the stoop ; and 

 when hard pressed, owing to the bushes being rather far 

 apart, will pass under the bellies of the horses, flutter along 

 a cart-rut, and avail himself of every little inequality of the 

 ground in order to escape. Four or five assistants, besides 

 the falconer, Avho should attend solely to his Hawks, are 

 required for this sport. They should be well mounted, and 

 provided with whips ; for the Magpie cannot be driven from 

 a bush by a stick ; but the crack of a whip will force him to 



