“ Jack ” : a Magpie.



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colour, singing all day, and on warm days (which is not very often

so far) enjoys a fly in the garden aviary, where it is very interest¬

ing to watch him catching insects on the wing. I feed him on

condensed milk, crumbled sponge cake, honey, Mellin’s Food, or

Horlick’s Malted Milk, and Marmite, any live insects I can find, and

grapes. He lives in a 3-foot cage with natural boughs for perches,

in a temperature of about 58° to 60°, coming out for a fly round the

room the days it is not warm enough to take him out of doors.


Words cannot describe the beauty of these birds in full

colour, hut those who visited the L.C.B.A. Show in November last

will remember the wonderful team of sunbirds shown by Mr. Ezra,

the Malachite Sunbird being one. The hen is a dark grey bird with

a yellow breast, and strange spots on the throat that remind one of

a lizard. They are most tractable and make charming pets, nibbling

the end of one’s fingers, hoping for spiders or other insects, of which

they are very fond.



“JACK”: A MAGPIE,


By Mrs. Gregory.


I bought him in Poole Park and carried him home in a paper

bag ! Passing through on my way to Poole, I had noticed a pair

of magpies bullying a third one. Mentioning to the keeper how

unhappy the bird looked, “ Yes,” he said, “ I would gladly have

half-a-crown for him and be rid of him ! ” “ Then,” said I, “ I think

I had better have him.” So I called on my way from Poole and took

the bird home with me.


In a nice large aviary, with an aged and amiable Gold

Pheasant for company, “ Jack ” settled down quickly, and became

very attached to me. Although I had been assured he was a “ bit

wild ” and not at all tame, he appeared to me just the reverse.


In the course of a few days a friend saw him, and on her

saying she had long wanted a magpie, I gave him to her, for I

already had a second, older and finer than “Jack,” and I knew he

would have a good home. To my surprise, after four days, my

friend brought him back, for he had moped all the time, and would

scarcely eat. “It is you he wants,” she said, “ for he has plenty of



