244 Corvidce. 



after part of the rhyme above mentioned was doubtless added 

 in pleasantry, and probably without meaning ; just as the still 

 farther continuation, which is known in some places : 



1 Five for rich, six for poor, 

 Seven for a witch, I can tell you no more.' 



Or as another version, with equally meaningless intention : 



' Five for a fiddle, six for a dance, 

 Seven for England, eight for France.' 



With reference to France, to which the larger number is assigned, 



I may remind the traveller that as the railway train hurries him 



through that country, the Magpie is the only bird he will see in 



abundance, occupying the interminable lines of poplars, which 



stretch away for many a league into the distance on all sides, and 



seeming to be the sole representative of the feathered race there. 



The nest of the Magpie is of large size and of oval shape, 



generally surrounded with a protective fence of thorns which 



partially cover over the top like a dome, and which give it an 



untidy unfinished appearance. And this half nest is accounted 



for by the following ornithological legend : ' Once upon a time, 



when the world was very young, the Magpie, by some accident 



or another, although she was quite as cunning as she is at 



present, was the only bird that was unable to build a nest. In 



this perplexity, she applied to the other members of the feathered 



race, who kindly undertook to instruct her. So, on a day 



appointed, they assembled for that purpose, and the materials 



having been collected, the blackbird said, "Place that stick 



there," suiting the action to the word, as she commenced the 



work. "Ah!" (said the Magpie), "I knew that afore." The 



other birds followed with their suggestions, but to every piece of 



advice the Magpie kept saying, " Ah ! I knew that afore." At 



length, when the bridal habitation was half finished, the patience 



of the company was fairly exhausted by the pertinacious conceit 



of the Pie, so they all left her with the united exclamation, 



" Well, Mistress Mag, as you seem to know all about it, you may 



Halliwell's ' Popular Rhymes.' 



