12 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST 



amusing to watcli the pretty coaxing metliods she would resort to, 

 in order to compel you to attend to her wants in this respect. One 

 summer evening when attending to the garden, I pretended to take 

 no notice of her, thougli she had recourse to all her blandishments 

 in order to induce me to offer her my f rirefinger. Maggie was not to 

 be put off, so she looked about and caught a beetle, and then jumped 

 on to my knee, uttering a low chirpy noise. Evidently this beetle 

 was meant forme, so stooping down, I opened my mouth, when she 

 coolly dropped it in. Of course, I couhl not resist this last appeal. 

 When we scolded this bird, she would assume an air of humble 

 contrition so irresistibly comic that we could not lielp laughing. 

 Siie was very fond of being praised, and showed her appreciation of 

 flattery by joyfully skipping about. 



Magpies in a state of nature, can show unmistakable signs of 

 sorrow for several days after being robbed of their young ones. 1 

 recollect a pair, which built in a she-oak: they went about the task of 

 ministering to the wants of their young family with all the elation of 

 confident hope. Fordaysafter I invaded their happy home, and ruth- 

 lessly deprived them of their youngsters, I noticed the parents moping 

 about in such a state of utter dejection, that it was truly pitiable to 

 look at them. From the manner in wdiich they drooped their 

 wings, and the aimless forlorn way they wandered al:)out in the 

 vicinity of the nest, it was evident they were sorrowing over their 

 loss as keenly as human parents, when death bereaves them of their 

 first-born. 



Wiien incubating, the male bird is particularly attentive to his 

 partner, continually supplying her with food as she sits on the 

 nest. Further, they entertain affection for their young for a long 

 time should they miss breeding. Under such circumstances, it is a 

 common occurrence to see the parent birds giving grub^, etc., to a 

 twelve months old son or daughter. 



As to warlike proceedings among themselves, I think they have 

 three different kinds of quarrels Tlie first is the pairing tight 

 between cock and hen. This generally commences in pursuit, and 

 culminates in a pitched battle between the amorous pnrties on the 

 grounil. They tumble over and over, and go at it with beak and 

 claAv, screaming all the while, a lot of old birds of both sexes 

 prt^tending to assist. When the fracas is ended, the usual solo and 

 chorus is given, after which the married couple fly off together. 

 Tiie union, 1 think, is life-long with some of the birds, because one 

 frequently sees an old pair together in one locality, sticking to each 

 other, in or out of season, and for years using tlic same tree to 

 nest in. Secondly, there is the private quarrel, originating probably 

 from some insult or injury, and lastly there is the chnsing off of an 

 interloper, who intrudes upon territory not his own. 



{To be continued ?) 



