496 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 



the most comical of these was " pretty-poll," as passing strangers, 

 on hearing the well-known words, turned round to look at the sup- 

 posed joarrot, and saw only imj^udent " mag" instead. But anything 

 more on this subject would be only taking a leaf out of the history 

 of a pet magpie communicated by my friend Mr. Stevelly, Professor 

 of Natural Philosophy in Belfast College. He remarks — 



" When a boy I succeeded in rearing a magpie from a very young 

 bird ; he became much attached to me, and long before he could 

 fly would follow me about with a curious kind of sideling hop, and 

 even at this time of life began to show great archness, running after 

 the peasant children, who, in the south of Ireland, go for the most 

 j^art without shoes and stockings, and pecking at their bare heels ; 

 and then instantly looking up to see if punishment were meditated, 

 of which, if he saw the least symptom, he v.'ould escape with won- 

 derful celerity. He became so adroit at length at this amusement, 

 that the children who came near the house were much afraid of him ; 

 when his beak became stronger, he also attacked dogs in the same 

 manner, but always with much and very droll caution. He flew well 

 and strongly before I attempted to confine him in the slightest de- 

 gree, and roamed at large round my father's place ; but when I 

 wished him to come home in the evening, one or two loud calls of 

 his name ' Jack ' were sure to bring him from some neighbouring 

 high tree on which he had perched, to my shoulder, which was a 

 very favourite resting-place ; when there, it was a favourite practice 

 of his gently to run his beak between my lips or into my ear, with 

 that peculiar motion which pigeons are observed to use when they 

 caress each other ; the tickling sensation which this process caused 

 when my ear was in question made me always submit with diffi- 

 culty, and I was frequently obliged to withdraw my head suddenly 

 with a shudder ; at this he always seemed highly delighted, and 

 used to chatter with a guttural sound not unlike Irish words. 



" The country people in the south of Ireland have a manner of 

 calling each other from a distance by bending their fore-finger, put- 

 ting it into their mouth, and producing a very loud and shrill 

 whistle. This whistle ' Jack' became very expert at imitating, and 

 it was a favourite amusement of his to sit on a very hot day on the 

 top of the house, and if he chanced to esjjy any person at a distance, 

 as, for example, the market-boy riding into town, a whistle from 

 Jack, repeated if necessary, was sure to bring him back, however 

 great his hurry, under the impression that some important commis- 

 sion had been forgotten, or that his presence was required at the 

 house or farm-yard ; the length of the avenue, and a gentle slope in 

 it at about a quarter of a mile distance from the house, rendered this 

 trick very easy to be practised, and he seemed to take great delight 

 in it when successful, and many a hearty curse he received from the 

 wearied subject of his practical joke as soon as he had discovered the 

 individual who had so importunately called him back. 



" He was particularly fond of any shining article, such as spoons 

 and trinkets ; these he frequently stole, and we came upon his trea- 

 sure-house in a laughable way. There was an old gentleman, a 



