MAGPIE. 187 



and voracious families of the same tribe, had been mutually 

 agreed on, and distinctly settled. But the Magpie was found 

 to be far more daring than the Jay, dashing into their very 

 tents, and carrying off the meat from the dishes. One of the 

 hunters, who accompanied the expedition, informed me, that 

 they frequently attended him while he was engaged in skinning 

 and cleaning the carcass of the deer, bear or buffaloe he had 

 killed, often seizing the meat that hung within a foot or two of 

 his head. On the shores of the Kooskoos-ke river, on the west 

 side of the great range of the Rocky mountains, they were found 

 to be equally numerous. 



It is highly probable that those vast plains or prairies, abound- 

 ing with game and cattle, frequently killed for the mere hides, 

 tallow, or even marrow-bones, may be one great inducement 

 for the residency of these birds, so fond of flesh and carrion. 

 Even the rigorous severity of winter in the high regions along 

 the head waters of Rio du Nord, the Arkansaw and Red river, 

 seems insufficient to force them from those favourite haunts; 

 though it appears to increase their natural voracity to a very 

 uncommon degree. Pike relates, that, in the month of Decem- 

 ber, in the neighbourhood of the North mountain, N. lat. 41, 

 W. long. 34, Reaumur's thermometer standing at 17 below 0, 

 these birds were seen in great numbers. "Our horses," says 

 he, " were obliged to scrape the snow away to obtain their mi- 

 "serable pittance; and to increase their misfortunes, the poor 

 " animals were attacked by the Magpies, who, attracted by the 

 ( 'scent of their sore backs, alighted on them, and in defiance 

 " of their wincing and kicking, picked many places quite raw. 

 " The difficulty of procuring food rendering those birds so bold 

 " as to light on our men's arms, and eat meat out of their hands. "* 



The Magpie is eighteen inches in length; the head, neck, 

 upper part of the breast and back, are a deep velvetty black; 

 primaries brownish black, streaked along their inner vanes with 

 white ; secondaries rich purplish blue; greater coverts green blue; 



* Pike's Journal, p. 170. 



