99 



MAGPIE. 



COMMON MAGPIE. PIANET. MADGE. 

 PLATE XLVIII. 



Pica cauilafft, FLEMING. SELBT. GOULD. 



Corvus pica, PENNANT. MONTAGU. 



NIDIFICATION begins early in the spring. 



The nest, which is resorted to from year to year, is placed in the 

 top of a tall tree or hedge, or sometimes in a lower one, if otherwise 

 suitably protectant. It is rather of an oblong shape, built of strong 

 sticks and thorns, cemented together with mud, and lined with roots 

 and grass; an aperture just sufficient to admit the bird is left on one 

 side, and from this loop-hole any approaching danger is descried, in 

 order to a timely retreat; the top is covered over. 



I am informed by W. F. W. Bird, Esq., that the Magpie builds in 

 Kensington Gardens. 



The eggs are six or seven, rarely eight in number, pale bluish white, 

 spotted all over with grey and greenish brown, more or less dark. 



The Rev. I. Hall gives the following interesting account of a nest of 

 these birds, which he met with in Scotland: f On the road between 

 Huntly and Portsoy I observed two Magpies hopping round a gooseberry 

 bush in a small garden, near a poor-looking house, in a peculiar manner, 

 and flying out of and into the bush. I stepped aside to see what they 

 were doing, and found from the poor man and his wife, that these 

 Magpies for several successive years had built their nest and brought 

 up their young in this bush; and that the foxes, cats, etc. might not 

 interrupt them, they had not only barricaded the nest, but had encircled 

 the bush with briars and thorns in a formidable manner/ 



