1 8 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



in the Eastern Himalayas a black-rumped form occurs (P. 

 bottanensis\ while in South-eastern Spain an intermediate form 

 is found, and further in Algeria and Morocco P. mauritanica 

 replaces the ordinary European species. In California is found 

 the Yellow-billed Magpie (P. nuttalli}. 



THE MAGPIE. PICA PICA. 



Corvus pica, Linn., S. N., i., p. 157 (1766). 



Pica melanoleuca, Macg., Br. B., i., p. 562 (1837). 



Pica rustica, Dresser, B. Eur., iv., p. 509, pi. 260, fig. 2 (1873) ; 



Newt. ed. Yarr., ii., p. 312 (1878); B. O. U. List Br. 



B., p. 68 (1883); Saunders, Man., p. 227 (1889). 

 Pica caudata, Seeb., Hist. Br. B., i., p. 562 (1883); Lilford, Col. 



Fig. Brit. B., pt. xii. (1890). 

 Picapica, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus., iii., p. 62 (1877). 



Adnlt Male. Black, with green and coppery reflections ; 

 rump with an ashy- white bar ; a white shoulder-patch ; tail dark 

 green, black at the end, before which the feathers are coppery, 

 and then purplish red to purplish blue ; throat black, with 

 grey streaks; rest of under surface pure white; thighs and 

 under wing-coverts black, with a green shade; bill and legs 

 black; iris brown. Total length, 16 inches; culmen, 1-5; 

 wing, 7-9; tail, 9-8; tarsus, 1-95. 



Sexes alike, the female being merely a little duller in colour. 

 Young. Like the adults, but much more dingily coloured. 



Range in Great Britain. Generally distributed throughout the 

 British Islands, though absent in some parts of Scotland, 

 and the outlying islands. In many parts of the southern and 

 south-eastern counties of England now of rare occurrence. 



Range outside the British Islands. Generally distributed 

 throughout Europe and Northern Asia to China, and also 

 occurring over the greater part of North America. 



Habits. A woodland species, still plentiful in some of the mid- 

 land counties, but regarded with great enmity by the farmer and 

 gamekeeper. As regards its food, it is practically omnivorous, 

 devouring fruit and grain, small mammals and dead birds, eggs 

 and young of poultry and game; but also useful from the 



