334 corvim:. 



thing more on this subject, would be only taking a leaf out of the 

 history of a pet magpie, communicated by my friend Dr. Stevelly, 

 Professor of Natural Philosophy in Belfast College. He remarks : — 



" When a boy, I succeeded in rearing a magpie that was taken from 

 the nest ; he became much attached to me, and long before he could fly, 

 would follow me about with a curious kind of sideling hop, and even 

 at this time of life began to show great archness, running after the 

 peasant children, who, in the south of Ireland, go for the most part 

 without shoes and stockings, and pecking at their bare heels ; and then 

 instantly looking up to see if punishment were meditated, of which if 

 he saw the least symptom, he would escape with wonderful celerity. 

 He became so adroit at length at this amusement, that the children who 

 came near the house were much afraid of him ; when his beak became 

 stronger, he also attacked dogs in the same manner, but always with 

 much and very droll caution. He flew well and strongly before I 

 attempted to confine him in the slightest degree, and roamed at large 

 round my father's place ; but when I wished him to come home in the 

 evening, one or two loud calls of his name ' Jack ' were sure to bring 

 him from some neighbouring high tree on which he perched, to my 

 shoulder, which was a very favourite resting-place ; when there, it was 

 a common practice of his gently to run his beak between my lips or 

 into my ear, with that peculiar motion which pigeons are observed to 

 use when they caress each other ; the tickling sensation which this pro- 

 cess caused, when my ear was in question, made me always submit with 

 difficulty, and I was frequently obliged to withdraw my head suddenly 

 with a shudder ; at this he always seemed highly delighted, and used 

 to chatter with a guttural sound not unlike Irish words. 



" The country people in the south of Ireland have a manner of calling 

 each other from a distance by bending their fore-finger, putting it into 

 then mouth, and producing a very loud and shrill whistle. This whistle 

 ' Jack ' became very expert in imitating, and it was a favourite amuse- 

 ment of his, to sit on a very hot day on the top of the house, and if 

 he chanced to espy any person at a distance, as, for example, the mar- 

 ket-boy riding into town, a whistle from Jack, repeated if necessary, 

 was sure to bring him back, however great his hurry, under the im- 

 pression that some important commission had been forgotten, or that 

 his presence was required at the house or farm-yard ; the length of the 

 avenue, and a gentle slope in it at about a quarter of a mile distance 



