8o THE MAGPIE 



devouring slugs, snails, worms, rats and mice, and these 

 ought surely to weigh against its depredations in the 

 poultry yard, and where eggs and game are concerned. 



A number of Magpies together have, under stress of 

 hunger, been known to attack weakly animals, and the 

 late Lord Lilford recorded an instance of fourteen or 

 fifteen of these birds fastening on to a sore-backed don- 

 key in very severe snowy weather, and after the death 

 of this animal, from natural causes, several of the birds 

 were shot as they fed on its body. But what will starv- 

 ing creatures not do if they can fill their empty stomachs ? 

 Their keen eyes also see when a fox is growing exhausted, 

 and they will hover and swoop over it in a most sugges- 

 tive manner. 



In point of fact the Magpie robs poultry yards, taking 

 eggs, chicks and young ducks, during the months of 

 May and June especially; but these might be protected. 

 Some fruit too he will steal ; but let us consider that all 

 the year round he feeds on the very worst enemies to 

 agriculture, and that it feeds its young, generally six of 

 these in each nest, on insects chiefly and later on rats, 

 mice, etc. The short-tailed Vole or field mouse of which 

 from time to time our country has a perfect plague 

 " overwhelming the whole earth, in the marshes," said 

 one old chronicler, is especially sought for by the Magpie 

 and these Field Voles have three or four litters in the 

 year, litters of from four to eight young. One writer 

 states his belief that the destruction of Kestrels and Mag- 

 pies is the cause of the increase of Field Voles. The 

 Rev. J. G. Wood considered that it more than compen- 

 sated for the harm it did to game and poultry by its good 

 offices in ridding the gardens and cultivated grounds of 

 their varied foes, and Macgillivray gave the bird a good 



