DESERTED HOMES. 147 



tricts, birds which they have turned out round their 

 house-grounds and coverts, in order to replace those 

 which have been exterminated before they became 

 owners of the places. They have been well re- 

 warded ; for the birds, knowing they were protected, 

 have cast aside their natural shyness and nested 

 close to the houses of those who befriended them. 

 When these introduced creatures happened to be 

 crows, magpies, and owls, it has created some bit- 

 ter talk in certain quarters : useless opposition, I 

 am happy to say, for their protectors are both nat- 

 uralists and sportsmen, — men, too, whom it would 

 not be safe to interfere or trifle with. Of course, 

 if these birds stray from their places of refuge they 

 have to take their chance, but otherwise they may 

 rest in perfect security. 



Magpies, for instance, are really most beautiful 

 objects when seen on the lawn in front of a house : 

 their tints of purple, green, velvety black and blue, 

 flash and show lights, like those on the feathers 

 of the Impeyan pheasant — these tints being brought 

 out and relieved by the pure white of the rest of 

 the bird's plumage. The bald terms of black and 

 white, which are generally used in speaking of the 



