88 THE BIRDS OF DEVOX. 



are exhibiting our collection to visitors and a specimen of the Magpie, 

 mounted in all his pride with expanded tail, is reached. And when the 

 information is given that the Magpie is one of the most common of our 

 indigenous birds the usual response is " We did not know there were such 

 beautiful birds in this country I "' Indeed, Master Mag, with his lustrous 

 metallic green and white plumage, is a splendid fellow, especially when 

 the sun is shining upon him, and it is a pity that his very mischievous 

 propensities should render it needful to keep his numbers within bounds. 

 He has a special weakness for birds' eggs and, as is well known, the surest 

 bait for him is a hen's egg laid carefully on the gin. He is, however, a 

 bhy and cautious bird, and does not often get himself into trouble. At 

 the nesting-time he loses some of his caution, and will approach near to 

 houses if any of the garden trees afford a desirable situation in which to 

 build, and he is very partial to a Scotch fir, placing his large untidy nest 

 of sticks, dome-shaped, and with a hole for ingress, in a fork of its branches. 

 At the time when we were ranked in the fraternity of birds' nesting 

 urchins, we had a belief that " Bush Magpies " and '• Tree Magpies " were 

 distinct species, a widely prevalent belief among rustic egg-collectors. 

 "Young Magpies taken from the nest are not often reared, being very liable 

 to severe cramps, in the paroxysms of which we have seen their miserable 

 little legs snap and break like pieces of glass. In no place have we seen 

 Magpies so numerous as they are on the rich pastures of Mid-Somerset, 

 where they go by the name of the " Pheasants of the level,'' at evening 

 flocking to some favourite larch-plantation to roost. Here they may be 

 easily thinned by anyone who chooses to lie in wait for them. Great is 

 the chattering when each little party comes in, and has its day's doings of 

 successful thieving and mischief to relate. Sometimes we have seen 

 Magpies assembled in the fields in llocks of a score or more, and the noise 

 of the caucus has been astounding. Instances have been known of two 

 large parties meeting, when a fight has taken place. In the autumn of 

 1^&2 we saw fifteen Magpies together on the ground in a field near Ex- 

 minster surrounded by immense flocks of Rooks and Starlings. The 

 Magpie is a favourite bird to keep as a pet, but is extremely mischievous, 

 and not to be trusted in the neighbourhood of the poultry yard. Like the 

 Jay, the Magpie delights to head the teasing parties of small birds which 

 make fun of any unfortunate Brown Owl discovered asleep on some not 

 very cleverly selected perch, when a characteristic woodland scene follows, 

 until the Owl can endure the noise no longer and plunges into a 

 deeper and safer roost. Sometimes the game changes, and Master Mag is 

 made to aftord amusement in turn. He is a very entertaining quarry to 

 the falconer, and is dexterous on wing beyond belief. Those who only 

 know him by his skulking flight as he dips along the hedge-rows would be 

 surprised by the eflbz-ts he makes to shake ofi' the Falcon. His craft leads 

 him to take shelter in any bush where he may lie perdu, not stirring until 

 the whips of those following the sport are cracked over his head, when he 

 will venture forth again to dodge the swoops of the expectant Peregrine. 

 "\i\"hen his last efforts have proved in vain, and the dreaded fatal stroke of 

 the Palcon's powerful talon has been given, his bright tail is cut ofi", as 



