20 4 



VEUTEliJlATA, 



enouLjli to pvadc their wrath. No animal food comes amiss to its carnivorous appetite ; young 

 poultry, offrr», young lambs, and even weakly sheep it will attempt to destroy, by first plucking out 

 their eves; the voung of hares, rabbits, and feathered game share the same fate; fish, carrion, in- 

 sects, fruit, and lastly grain, when nothing else can be got. It is an artful, noisy bird, proclaiming 

 aloud anv apparent danger, and thereby giving notice to its associates. Neither the fox nor other 



wild animal can appear without being ob- 

 served and haunte<l ; even the fowler is fre- 

 quently spoiled of his sport, for all other 

 birds seem to know the alarming chatter 

 of the magpie." This bird is easily tamed, 

 and chatters to those who feed him, imi- 

 tates human voices, and performs many 

 amusing tricks. Like many of the crow 

 family, it has a strange desire to pilfer and 

 secrete small shining objects, especially 

 pieces of money, and in this way is ex- 

 tremely mischievous when allowed to go 

 about the house. The affecting story of 

 the "Magpie and the Maid," in which the 

 latter was charged with theft, while the 

 magpie was the culprit, is founded on fact, 

 and is familiar to all. 



This species is found throughout Europe, 

 and is constantly seen in the meadows and 

 fields of England, France, Germany, and 

 Italy. It is also abundant in this country, 

 though it is confined to the western re- 

 gions — that is, from Texas, northward 

 through Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, 

 and the British territories to latitude 58°. 

 Some naturalists have supposed it must 

 be a distinct species, as by a strange in- 

 stinct it remains fixed in the unsettled 

 territories of the West, while in Europe 

 it seems to haunt the abodes of man. It 

 has, however, the same size, markings, 

 structure, and habits as the foreign magpie, 

 and is therefore supposed to be of the 

 same species. Travelers in the West are 

 sometimes very much annoyed with them, 

 as they will often penetrate their tents 

 and snatch the meat from the dishes; and 

 if a horse chance to have a sore back, they 

 will descend upon it, and attempt to make 

 a meal of the living flesh. 



There is another species of this bird, 

 the Yellow-bellied Magpie, P. Ji^uttuUi, 

 in California : in the eastern hemisphere 

 there are several closely allied to it, among 

 which is the Dendrocitta vac/abunda, com- 

 mon in India; and the Pkathartes gymno- 

 cephalus, of Africa, which has the neck bare of feathers, and somewhat resembles the vultures in 

 appearance and habits. 



THE PARADISE PIE. 



