THE MAGPIE. 21 



lined with wool, hair, fur, grass, etc. Eggs. — 4-6, sometimes 7 ; 

 much bluer than eggs of most Corvidce ; ground, being pale greenish- 

 blue, spotted brownish-black and ashy ; some with bold black 

 blotches, others unmarked or only finely pitted. Average of 

 50 eggs, 35.47 X 25.32 mm. Breeding-season. — Begins second half 

 April. Incubation. — Lasts 18-20 days. Fledging- period. — 4-5 

 weeks. One brood. 



Food. — Occasionally young birds and frequently eggs, but mainly 

 insects (coleoptera and larvae, larvae of moths, diptera, etc.) ; also 

 slugs, worms, wheat, young potatoes, etc., and sometimes fruit 

 (cherries and walnuts). 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Resident. Common except north- 

 west Scotland, where scarce, 0. Hebrides, where appears on 

 migration and has recently nested, and Shetlands, where only 

 rather rare visitor, although now abundant Orkneys. Does not 

 breed western isles of Ireland. 



Migrations. — British Isles. — Some of our residents appear to 

 depart autumn and return spring. Numbers arrive east coast 

 Great Britain mid-Oct. to first week Nov., extremes Sept. 18 

 to Nov. 20, and depart mid-Feb. to third week April. Some 

 evidence of arrivals on south coast (Hants.) beginning of April. 

 Anivals have been noted April and Oct. Fair Isle. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — West and central Europe, also parts of 

 south Europe, but exact limits not yet ascertained. Replaced by 

 closely allied forms in Scandinavia, east Europe, parts of north and 

 west Asia, and Algeria. 



Genus PICA Briss. 



Pica Brisson, Orn. i, p. 30 (1760 — Type by tautonjTuy " pica,'' i.e. 

 Pica pica ; c/. op. c, ii, p. 35). 



Differs at a glance from all other north European Corvidce by 

 long graduated tail, middle feathers of which stand out far beyond 

 rest. First primary very narro\^-, stiff, and short. Colours white 

 and black, latter mostly beautifully glossed with metallic green, 

 blue, or purple. Sexes alike. Genus ranges over Euroj)e, north 

 Africa, western, northern, central and eastern Asia, and parts of 

 North America. Eight forms distinguishable, replacing each 

 other geographically. All might be treated as subspecies. 



PICA PICA 



6. Pica pica pica (L.)— THE MAGPIE. 



CORVUS Pica Linnfeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 106 (1758— Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Pica rustica (Scopoli), Yarrell, ii, p. 312 ; Saunders, p. 237. 



