PICA MELANOLEUCA VAE. HUDSONICA, MAGPIE. 213 



The entrance is an unconspicuous hole in the side. Fall number of eggs, 

 eigiit. Young begin to fly about June 1." 



Magpies are very common at Fort Eaudall through the winter, as at 

 other points higher up the river. They keep mostly in troops in the 

 wooded river-bottom, and, notwithstanding the severity of the weather, 

 they are not familiar and impudent, as they are represented to be in 

 times of scarcity. In fact I have always found them wary and watch- 

 ful, on the alert for suspicious approach, and rather difiQeult to shoot. 

 When a flock is feeding, as they habitually do, down among the bushes, 

 one or more are perched, apparently as sentinels, on the high trees over- 

 head, and the hidden birds below are instantly warned of danger by 

 their discordant screams. I have more than once succeeded in getting 

 within range of one of these picket-guards, and at the report of my 

 gun, scores of birds, of whose presence I was entirely unaware, have 

 sprung up from the bushes all around, where they had been feeding in 

 perfect silence. I once procured several specimens unexpectediy and 

 unintentionally, the birds having come to feed upon the carcase of a 

 horse I had poisoned to secure wolves. Six or eight magpies were found 

 dead next morning, besides several coyot6s and a skunk. It is stated 

 that this method has also been successfully employed to destroy the 

 birds, when, from their numbers and under stress of hunger, they 

 proved a nuisance by alighting on the sore backs of horses and mules 

 to pick at the raw flesh. An Indian boy at Fort Eandall succeeded in 

 capturing a number alive with a common " figure-of four" trap, showing 

 that their native cunning is sometimes at fault. During the whole 

 season of 1873 I did not see a single Magpie along the northern border 

 of Dakota. 



This variety is scarcely at all found in California, where the yellow- 

 billed form is common west of the Sierra Nevada. That P. nuttaUtl 

 is not a valid species is sufficiently proven by the facts, that the same 

 peculiarity occurs in the European bird, and that in several species of 

 this family the bill is indifterently black or yellow. I continue to regard 

 the yellow-billed race as simply illustrating the perpetuation of a for- 

 tuitous condition. Messrs. Baird and Ejdgway agree to the reduction. 



The following observations, made by Mr. Trippe in Colorado, will be 

 read with interest : 



"Common; resident; breeds. The Magpie abounds from the plains 

 up to 10,000 feet, rarely venturing higher than that limit, while it is 

 most numerous below 8,500. It is a social bird, although not gregarious, 

 being usually found in pairs or small parties of from three to six or 

 eight, but quite often goes alone. It is very voracious, living upon 

 seeds, carrion, insects, &c., and being especially fond of the eggs and 

 young of other birds, of which it destroys very great quantities. It is 

 easily caught and tamed, even when old, and soon becomes very cun- 

 ning and mischievoiis, exhibiting the same traits as the Crow, and, like 

 that bird, is said to imitate the human voice with some aptitude. It 

 has almost an infinite variety of notes, some low, gurgling, and musical, 

 some harsh and discordant, others squeaky and grating. It is very- 

 noisy at times, and quite silent at others, when engaged in robbing- 

 birds' nests or foraging near dwelliugs or barns. It has a loud, rapid 

 chatter, uttered as an alarm cry, and, with its extensive vocabulary, 

 seems at no loss to convey its ideas to its fellows. It prefers, as a rule, 

 the vicinity of streams, and the brushy valleys, but often wanders 

 among the pine groves on the hill-sides, and pays frequent visits to the 

 vicinity of slaughter-houses. It is common along road-sides, where its 

 bright plumage and harsh cries attract the attention of the tra\'eler. 



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