91 
MAGPIE. 
COMMON. MAGPIE. PIANET. MADGE. 
PLATE XLVIII. 
Pica caudata, : ; ; Firming. Senpy. Govup. 
Corvus Pica, . ; F . Pennant. Montacv. 
Nipirication begins early in the spring. 
The nest, which is resorted to from year to year, 
is placed in the top of a tall tree or hedge, or some- 
times in a lower one, if otherwise suitably protectant. 
It is rather of an oblong shape, built of strong sticks 
and thorns, cemented together with mud, and lined 
with roots and grass; an aperture just sufficient to 
admit the bird is left on one side, and from this loop- 
hole any approaching danger is descried, in order toa 
timely retreat; the top is covered over. 
I am informed by W. F. W. Bird, Esq., that the 
Magpie builds in Kensington Gardens. 
The eggs are six or seven, rarely eight in number, 
pale bluish white, spotted all over with grey and 
greenish brown, more or less dark. 
The Rev. I. Hall gives the following interesting 
account of a nest of these birds, which he met with 
in Scotland:—‘“‘On the road between Huntly and Portsoy, 
I observed two Magpies hopping round a’ gooseberry 
bush in a small garden, near a poor-looking house, in 
a peculiar manner, and flying out of and into the bush. 
