THE PIE KIND. 191 



The body of the nest is composed of hawthorn 

 branches, the thorns sticking outward, but well 

 united together by their mutual insertions. 

 Within it is lined with fibrous roots, wool, and 

 long grass, and then nicely plastered all round 

 with mud and clay. The body of the nest being 

 thus made firm and commodious, the next work 

 is to make the canopy which is to defend it above. 

 This is composed of the sharpest thorns, wove 

 together in such a manner as to deny all entrance 

 except at the door, which is just large enough to 

 permit egress and regress to the owners. In this 

 fortress the male and female hatch and bring up 

 their brood with security, sheltered from all at- 

 tacks but those of the climbing school-boy, who 

 often finds his torn and bloody hands too dear a 

 price for the eggs or the young ones. The mag- 

 pie lays six or seven eggs, of a pale green colour, 

 spotted with brown. 



This bird, in its domestic state, preserves its 

 natural character with strict propriety. The same 

 noisy, mischievous habits attend it to the cage 

 that marked it in the woods ; and being more 

 cunning, so it is also a more docile bird than any 

 other taken into keeping. Those who are de- 

 sirous of teaching it to speak, have a foolish cus- 

 tom of cutting its tongue, which only puts the 

 poor animal to pain, without improving its speech 

 in the smallest degree. Its speaking is sometimes 

 very distinct; but its sounds are too thin and 

 sharp to be an exact imitation of the human 

 voice, which the hoarse raven and parrot can 

 counterfeit more exactly. 



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