THE MAGPIE. Ill 



on the ground, from the repeated blows of his antagonist, sneaka off, 

 well contented to save his life. 



THE MAGPIE. 



Like the Crow, this bird feeds on almost all substances animal 

 well as vegetable, 

 that come in its 

 way. It forms its 

 nest with great 

 art ; leaving a hole 

 in the side for 

 admittance, and 

 covering the whole 

 upper part with a 

 texture of thorny 

 branches closely 

 entangled, by 

 which a retreat is 

 secured from the 

 rude attacks of 

 other birds ; the 

 inside is furnished 

 with a sort of mat- 

 tress, composed of 



wool and other soft materials, on which the young-ones, which are 

 generally seven or eight in number, repose. 



It is a crafty, and, in a tame state, a familiar bird ; and may be taught 

 to pronounce not only words, but short sentences, and even to imitate 

 any particular noise that it hears. 



Plutarch relates a singular story of a Magpie belonging to a barber 

 at Borne. This bird could imitate, to a wonderful extent, almost every 

 noise that it heard. Some trumpets happened one day to be sounded 

 before the shop ; and for a day or two afterwards the Magpie was quite 

 mute, and seemed pensive and melancholy. This surprised all who 

 knew it ; and they supposed that the sound of the trumpets had so 

 stunned the bird, as to deprive it at the same time both of voice and 

 hearing. This, however, was not the case ; for, says this writer, the 

 bird had been all the time occupied in profound meditation, and wag 

 studying how to imitate the sound of the trumpets : accordingly, in the 

 first attempt, it perfectly imitated all their repetitions, stops an.d 

 changes. This new lesson, however, made it entirely forget every 

 .hing that it had learned before. 



, In certain districts of Norway, the Magpie is so uncommon a bird, 

 that its appearance is considered a sign of the approaching death of 

 some principal person in the neighborhood. In England also it is es- 

 teemed a bird of omen. In the north of England, one of these birds 

 flying by itself is accounted a sign of ill luck ; two together forbode 

 something fortunate; three indicate a funeral; and four, a wedding. 



