250 WOODLAND CREATURES 



I opened my mouth to speak the bird flew away, 

 and I received full in the face what we will for 

 the sake of politeness call her " blessing ! " Oh ! 

 how my companion laughed ! Oh ! how I spit 

 and tried to clear my mouth of the filthy and 

 disgusting stuff that had gone into it ! It was 

 a horrible episode, and the magpie was well 

 revenged for being wantonly disturbed. 



Both the old birds work hard to keep the 

 nestlings supplied, and with half a dozen hungry 

 young ones to satisfy they have no light task ; 

 but once they get the family out of the nest their 

 troubles are more or less over, for they have 

 but one brood in a season. It is true that if a 

 pair of magpies lose their first clutch of eggs, 

 they will speedily make another nest and lay a 

 second, but having succeeded in launching a 

 family into the world, they resign domestic cares 

 and worry no more, that year, about nest 

 building. By the way, I am of the opinion that 

 when an old nest is repaired and made use of 

 again, it is by birds that have been disturbed 

 from their original nest and are in a hurry for 

 fresh housing accommodation. Nesting magpies, 

 despite the excellent defences of their strong- 

 holds, have much to put up with ; their mansions 

 are so noticeable that nest-hunting boys and 

 keepers are alike attracted to them, and any 

 pair that are visited by one of the latter are 

 sure to meet with trouble. If, however, one of 

 the pair escapes a tragic death from the keeper's 

 gun, it quickly finds another mate; indeed, it 



