THE MAGPIE— THE JAY. 47 



are both universally known ; and shall only observe, that the 

 former lives on carrion, but the latter on seeds and grain. 



The rook delights to be near the habitations of men, and their 

 bustle and cawing enliven the rural scene, for which reason 

 many country gentlemen would not wish to banish them from 

 the vicinity of their habitations. 



THE MAGPIE 



Is, in England, universally known, and it would only be a 

 waste of time to describe a bird with which every school-boy 

 and every milk-maid is perfectly acquainted. It will therefore 

 be sufficient to remark a few of its most general propensities. 



In all its habits, it discovers a degree of instinct superior to 

 most other birds ; and even the globular construction of its nest 

 displays extraordinary sagacity. The magpie is noisy, cunning, 

 mischievous, and insolent: it preys upon animals which are 

 unable to make resistance, and teazes such as are larger and 

 stronger than itself. It is extremely voracious, and particularly 

 addicted to the devouring of eggs. Those of the domestic fowl, 

 and of small birds which build in the hedges, very frequently 

 fall a prey to this cunning depredator. In its domestic state it 

 preserves its natural character without any alteration, and the 

 same propensities attend it in the cage that distinguish it in the 

 woods. Being one of the most cunning, it is also one of the 

 most docile of birds. Those who teach it to speak have a cus- 

 tom of slitting its tongue, which is equally cruel and absurd, as 

 it causes the poor creature to suffer pain without in the least 

 improving its speech. It sometimes learns to speak very dis- 

 tinctly, but its sounds are too shrill to be an exact imitation of 

 the human voice, which the raven and the parrot can more 

 perfectly counterfeit. 



THE JAY 



May be reckoned among the most beautiful birds of the British 

 isles. Its forehead is white streaked with black, and its head is 

 covered with long feathers, which it can at its pleasure erect 

 into a crest. The whole neck, back, belly, and breast, are of a 

 faint purple dashed with grey. The wings are most elegantly 

 barred with blue, black, and white; and the tail is generally 

 quite black. Like the magpie, it feeds on small birds or fruits, 

 is extremely docile, and learns to speak with facility. 



Mr. Bewick informs us, that a jay kept by a person in the 

 north of England, had been taught at the approach of cattle, to 

 set a cur dog upon them, by whistling and calling him by name. 

 One winter, during a severe frost, he excited the dog to attack 

 a cow which was big with calf, when the poor animal fell on the 



