THE MAGPIE 81 



character on the whole. Our cattle are grateful for its 

 services ; like the Jackdaw it frees them often of the 

 vermin which annoy them so persistently. The large 

 White or cabbage butterflies, it devours largely, and 

 these feed on other crops beside cabbage, both the leaves 

 and seed-pods of turnips for instance, horse-radish too 

 and watercress. Enormous flights of these insects come 

 to us from abroad from time to time. 



It is of course a noisy chattering creature, and, as a 

 child, I remember I had a perfect terror of a tame Magpie 

 that ran after me, pecking at my heels. Its " tricks and 

 manners " leave much to be desired, it must be owned, 

 yet it is an ornament to the country side, and to meet 

 more than one Magpie is considered to be a very lucky 

 omen, that is, I believe, up to six. In Scandinavia it is 

 the bird of good luck, par excellence, and its presence 

 is much desired about the homestead. 



Montgomery wrote : 



' Magpie, thou too hast learned by rote to speak 

 Words without meaning through thy uncouth beak."" 



but the Magpie retorts : 



* Words have I learned, and without meaning too, 

 Mark well, my masters taught me all they knew." 



Head, neck, throat, mantle, rump, and thighs black ; 

 breast, underparts, shoulder and the inside of the wing 

 feathers pure white. This gives the bird a very pied 

 appearance. The tail is long, arrow-shaped, and like 

 the wings have a beautiful metallic lustre. Its nest, 



G 



