MAGPIES. 259 



quent and furious pounces upon it, from which the 

 animal at last escaped only by making for a thick 

 hedge, at the other side of which it ran off to some 

 distance from the place where it had entered, with- 

 out being observed by its pursuer. No cause could 

 be assigned for this assault. 



A favourable trait in their character occurred in 

 Essex, where some boys, having taken four young 

 ones from a Raven's nest, placed them in a wagon in 

 a cart-shed. About the same time, they happened 

 to destroy the young of a Magpie, which had built 

 its nest near the cart-shed ; when the old Magpie, 

 hearing the young Ravens crying for food, brought 

 some, and constantly fed them till they were given 

 away by the boys. 



Generally speaking, these birds prefer our nor- 

 thern climates, though they are very plentifully 

 spread over the world. In some spots they are, 

 however, very scarce, without any apparent reason. 

 Thus, a traveller, who had been through Turkey, 

 remarked that he never saw a single bird of this 

 species, and had seen very few indeed in the adjoin- 

 ing countries. 



END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. 



LONDON : JOHN W. PARKER, ST. MARTFN'S LANE. 



