334 BRITISH BIRDS. 



CEREMONIAL GATHERINGS OF THE MAGPIE. 



Although the fact that Magpies are gregarious in winter has 

 been often recorded — Macgillivray seems to be the only con- 

 siderable British author who omits to refer to the habit — the 

 significance of these gatherings is not well known. From 

 time to time several explanations have been advanced. 



The first is that the birds are simply congregated in roosting 

 parties, after the manner of Rooks, Starlings, or Redwings. 

 I cannot think this explanation is a good one, for I have often 

 seen the flocks in the morning, and, what is more important, 

 at no other season than the first six weeks of the year. (It 

 may be remarked in passing that these winter-flocks have 

 little in common with the smaller and better known family- 

 parties of the late summer or early autumn.) Many of the 

 records of winter-flocks contain some mention of the extra- 

 ordinary noisiness of the birds on these occasions. 



The second explanation, which is the one most generally 

 accepted, is that these gatherings are simply parties of 

 migratory birds ; but I have not been able to find any published 

 observations in support of this theory. 



The true explanation of these remarkable gatherings, 

 although appearing in one of the most widely read scientific 

 books in our language, seems quite to have escaped the 

 attention of ornithologists. Charles Darwin, in his " Descent 

 of Man " (2nd ed., ii., p. 113), quotes the Rev. W. Darwin Fox 

 to the effect that in former years the birds used to congregate 

 from all parts of Delamere Forest to celebrate the " great 

 Magpie marriage." They assembled early in the spring at 

 particular spots, and could be seen chattering, fighting, and 

 bustling and flying about the trees. The whole affair was 

 evidently considered by the birds as of the highest importance. 



I have had several excellent opportunities of observing at 

 close-quarters these strange and picturesque ceremonies, and 

 I think it will not be amiss to draw attention once more to this 

 interesting habit of the Magpie. 



In February, 1895, in south-east Lancashire, I counted no 

 less than two hundred birds in one flock. I have never seen 

 anything approaching this number since, but in January, 1909, 

 Mr. J. Middleton counted eighty in a wood in Longdendale, 

 Cheshire, and considered the flock to contain at least one 

 hundred birds. In Longdendale, and in the surrounding 

 districts, I -have several times encountered gatherings of a 

 score or so in the early part of the year ; and I have heard of 

 them so often that I am quite confident these assemblies are 

 annual affairs. In going through the many published 



