THE MAGGIE. ZWl 



wnTch, notwithstanding the general improvement o'f 

 the human mind and the diffusion of knowledge, are 

 yet to be found ainong the ignorant populace of 

 most countries ; but I snail w>t, my dear Sir, amuse 

 you with the tales of old women, which I know you 

 have good sense enough to despise. Some suppose 

 that the respect paid to it in Sweden, where it is held! 

 sacred and no one offers to molest it, i founded oil 

 the circumstance of its being selected for the purpose 

 of feeding the prophet Elijah. 



The Romans, however, who paid no regard to our 

 Scriptures, had also their prejudices in regard to the 

 raven, as they accounted it ominous, and merely from 

 motives of fear held it in the greatest veneration. 

 The origin of these absurdities is wholly unknown; 

 for it is impossible to trace the progress of supersti- 

 tion, and the excentricities of its operations on weak 

 and uncultivated minds. 



Of the carrion crow and the rook I shall say but- 

 little, as they are both universally known, and shall 

 only observe that the former lives on carrion, but the 

 iatter on see-ds and grain. 



The rook delights to be near the habitations of 

 men, and their bustle and cawing enlivens the rum! 

 scene, for which reason many country gentlemen 

 would not wish to banish them from tb-e vicinity of 

 their habitations. 



THE MAGPIE 



is universally known in this country, and it would 

 only be a waste of time to describe a bird with which 

 every school-boy and -every milk-maid is perfectly 

 acquainted. It will therefore, my dear Sir, be sufii- 

 cient to remark a few of its most general propensities. 

 In all its habits it discovers a degree of instinct su- 

 perior to most other birds ; and even the globular con- 

 struction ol its nest displays extraordinary sagacity. 

 Th magpitt is noisy, cunniag, mischievous and inso- 

 lent : it preys upon animals which are unable to make 

 resistance, and teazes such as are larger and stronger 

 than itself. It is extremely voracious, and particu- 

 larly addicted to the devouring of eggs, Those of 

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