A MAGPIE RECEPTION. 227 



we had a reception. This bird is intelligent 

 and by no means a slave to habit ; because he 

 has behaved in a certain way once, there is no 

 law, avian or divine, that compels him to repeat 

 that conduct on the next occasion. Nor is it 

 safe to generalize about him, or any other bird 

 for that matter. One cannot say, " The magpie 

 does thus and so," because each individual mag- 

 pie has his own way of doing, and circumstances 

 alter cases, with birds as well as with people. 



On this occasion we placed ourselves boldly, 

 though very quietly, in the paths that run 

 through the oak-brush. We had abandoned all 

 attempt at concealment ; we could hope only for 

 tolerance. The birds readily understood ; they 

 appreciated that they were seen and watched, 

 and their manners changed accordingly. The 

 first one of the black-and-white gentry who 

 entered the grove discovered my comrade, and 

 announced the presence of the enemy by a loud 

 cry, in what somebody has aptly called a " fron- 

 tier tone of voice." Instantly another appeared 

 and added his remarks ; then another, and still 

 another, till within five minutes there were ten 

 or twelve excited magpies, shouting at the top of 

 their voices, and hopping and flying about her 

 head, coming ever nearer and nearer, as if they 

 meditated a personal attack. I did not really 

 fear it, but I kept close watch, while remain- 



