120 THE MAGPIE. 



And the crafty and dissembling Iago remarks that — 



" When my outward action doth demonstrate 



The native act and figure of my heart 



In compliment extern, 'tis not long after 



But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve 



For daws to peck at.'' 



Othello, Act i. Sc. i. 



With the ancients, much superstition prevailed in regard 



to various species of the crow family ; and Shakespeare has 



specially mentioned three of these as birds of omen : — • 



"Augurs that understood relations have, 

 By magot-pies, and choughs, and rooks, brought forth 

 The secret'st man of blood." 



Macbeth, Act iii. Sc. 4. 



Even at the present day, there are many who profess to 

 augur good or evil from the flight of a magpie, or from 

 the number of magpies seen together at one time. An 

 old rhyme on the subject runs thus : — 



" One for sorrow, two for mirth ; 

 Three for a wedding, four for a birth." 



The origin of the word magpie we have not heard 

 explained, but it is possible, from the manner in which 

 the name is spelled above, that " mag " may be an abbre- 

 viation of "maggot," pointing to a certain propensity of 

 the bird, which, however, is not peculiar. Those who have 

 spent much time in the country, must have observed not 



