/ ado, NT 



A IP nest takes a month to build. Wln-n I was a 



boy, \vii.-n \\,- observed a magpi- mifiirin- t-> build 



in -\, T thought of rliiiiliin^ the tree for tin- e^r.., until u month 

 ..r five weeks had elapsrd after the time we had seen tin- l.inN 

 l>uild. 



Tin- magpie." says Sir .1 Richardson, "HO common in 



jtially plentiful in tin- prairie-lands of Ann-i 

 l>ut it is singular, that though it al-oiinds >n th- shore- 

 den an<l other mariti jiart.s !' tin- < >!! \\'>rl-l. it is vt-ry rare 



<-ii th- Atlantic coast .it' Aim ri.-.i .) in-ar Hudson's Bay. only 

 MIMV inlivi<luals |i.i>-^iiiM- t<> tin- t-a.stu arl of tin- M is^ixsijijti i.r 

 Lake Winnijx-^. It \vint.-rs on th- Missouri, ami takes its de- 

 ]tartun- n< >rth\vanl late in March. It -loes not fntir.-ly |iiit 

 the lanks of the Saskatchewan even in winter, Kut is much 

 more fn-.pient in summer." 



Tin- magpie fe.-.U iM.th on animal ami veir.-taMe suDHtances, 

 frequently killing yonn^lncks. jiartriil^.-s. jiheasjints chick. -us 

 etc. In En^hvnl they are .lestroye| l,y gamekeepers, on ac- 

 count of the damage they lo amount the jranie jireserves. 

 N"t only loth-y kill voting pln-asants ami ]>artridge, but they 



l.-vour tl irirs ,if thesr ^anif l.ipls. The American mag- 



j>i. i- -UJ.JM.S.'.I to l.e a geojfiiiphical variety of the European 

 l.inl. 



A- \\. r, ,we.l down the creek, we cam.- across a number of 



- of the kin*rl>ir<!. luit not on,- c..ntaine.l eggs, as they are 

 iiiveili-rs Mnskrats \\.-ir also plentiful, ami as they swim 



on tin- surface , !' tin- water, they look like small beavers som,- 

 beiriM, one foot ami a half in length. I <!!<! not come across 

 Kichanlson s merlin while in the North -West, but one of my 

 collectors informs me that a small falcon. probaUy this ,pe- 

 Mieiits the foothills of the Rockies alout Morlcy, and 

 I hii -1 him a mx*! price if he can oU-ain a skin and 



eggs of this -r me next s.-a.son. Mil ls have U-en ob- 



taine.l in Dakota and Montana. Dr. Richardson obtained a 

 female at < 'ai-lton H-use i.nthe Saskat-ln-wan while flying 

 with her mate, and in the oviduct there w.-n- several full- 

 . white .-e/^ clouded at one end with a few bronze-col- 



