THE MAGPIE. 223 



With us, the magpie is the most prevalent, and is 

 too well known to require being particularly described. 

 The magpie bears a great resemblance to the butcher 

 bird in the shape of its bill, the shortness of its wings, 

 and the form of its tail ; the combination of black, 

 white, purple, and green, which adorn the feathers of 

 this bird, would doubtless make it much admired, did 

 not its noisy and destructive propensities render it ra- 

 ther a nuisance to mankind. 



No food comes amiss to this bird ; it shares with the 

 raven in its carrion ; with the rooks, in their grain ; 

 and with the cuckoo, in birds' eggs ; yet it has a pro- 

 vident care about it seldom to be found amongst the 

 glutton tribe, for, when it has once satiated its appe- 

 tite, it always takes care to hide what remains of its 

 food; and small birds that by chance are wounded, 

 and young chickens, frequently become its prey. In 

 the formation of its nest it is peculiarly sagacious, and 

 contrives to erect it in a spot where it is not discernible 

 by any of its foes ; amongst the number of which, the 

 crow, the sparrow-hawk, and the kite, are justly to be 

 guarded against, and most to be feared, though they 

 frequently plunder in retaliation of the magpie's unjust 

 attacks upon their own abode. 



The body of this bird's curious habitation is com- 

 posed of hawthorn branches, with the thorns sticking 

 out; within it is lined with fibrous roots and wool, 

 and plaistered round with clay and mud ; the body 

 of the nest being thus firm and commodious, the 

 next work is to erect a canopy to defend it from 

 rain ; this is composed of the sharpest thorns, wove 

 together in such a manner as to obstruct all entrance 

 into their retreat, except through a small aperture 

 or door, just big enough for its inhabitants to creep 



