198 BRITISH BIRDS. 



for his own pleasure, Mag saw the number of her sub- 

 jects gradually diminished ; but she bore up against her 

 loss with firmness, and conducted the only remaining 

 duck to and from the field with her wonted regularity. 

 At length her care was to cease ; the last duck was to 

 follow its companions, and to furnish a dish for the 

 justice's table. It was caught for this purpose by the 

 servant, who was about to execute her master's com- 

 mands, when Mag's fury became violent : she flew on 

 her, tore her face with her talons and beak, then took 

 to flight, and returned no more to the scene of her 

 wrongs. 



The magpie, when reclaimed, becomes commonly 

 very docile : its natural faculties appear improved ; it 

 imitates the human voice, and emits various other 

 sounds. A barber at Rome, according to Plutarch, 

 had a magpie which could imitate, to a remarkable ex- 

 tent, almost every noise it heard. On one occasion 

 some trumpets were sounded before the shop, and for a 

 day or two afterwards the magpie was mute, and appa- 

 rently pensive and melancholy. This greatly surprised 

 those who knew the bird, and they supposed it had been 

 so stunned by the noise of the trumpets, as to lose its 

 power of voice and hearing. Plutarch says, however, 

 that it occupied the time in profound meditation, study- 



