MAGPIE. 317 
difference could be perceived. The figure on the plate is reduced to 
exactly half the’ size of life. a 
. This bird unites in its character, courage and cunning, turbulency 
and rapacity. Not inelegantly formed, and distinguished by. gay as 
well as splendid plumage, he has Jong been noted in those countries 
where he commonly resides, and his habits and manners are there fa- 
miliarly known. He is particularly pernicious to plantations of young 
oaks, tearing up the acorns; and also to birds, destroying great num- 
bers of their eggs and young, even young chickens, partridges, grouse, 
and pheasants. It is perhaps on this last account that the whole ven- 
geance of, the game laws has lately been let loose upon him in some 
parts of Britain, as appears by accounts from that quarter, where pre- 
miumis, it is'said, are offered for his head, as an arch poacher ; and pen- 
alties inflicted on all those who permit him to breed on their premises. 
Under the lash of such rigorous persecution, a few years will proba- 
bly exterminate the whole tribe from the island. He is also destruc- 
tive to gardens, and orchards; is noisy and restless, almost con- 
stantly flying from place to place; alights on the backs of the cattle, 
to rid them of the larve that fester in the skin; is content with car- 
rion when nothing better offers; eats various kinds of vegetables, and 
devours greedily grain, worms, and insects of almost every descrip- 
tion. When domesticated, he is easily taught to imitate the human 
voice, and to articulate words pretty distinctly; has all the pilfering 
habits of his tribe, filling every chink, nook, and crevice, with what- 
ever he can carry off; is subject to the epilepsy, or some similar dis- 
order ; and is, on the whole, a crafty, restless, and noisy bird. 
. He generally’ selects ‘a tall tree, adjoining the farm house, for his 
nest, which is placed among the highest branches ; this is large, com- 
posed outwardly of sticks, roots, turf, and dry weeds, and well lined 
with wool, cow hair, and feathers; the whole is surrounded, roofed, 
and barricaded with thorns, leaving only a narrow entrance. The 
eggs are usually five, of a greenish color, marked with numerous 
‘black or dusky ‘spots, In the northern parts of Europe, he migrates 
at the commencement of winter. : 
In this country, the Magpie was first taken notice of at the factories, 
or trading houses on Hudson’s Bay, where the Indians used sometimes ' 
to bring it in, and gave it the name of Heart-bird,— for what reason 
is uncertain. It appears, however, to be rather rare in that quarter. 
These circumstances are taken notice of by Mr. Pennant and other 
British naturalists. : ie ; 
In 1804, an exploring party under the command of Captains Lewis 
and Clark, on their route to the Pacific Ocean across the continent, first 
met with the Magpie somewhere near the great bend of the Missouri, 
and found that the number of these birds increased as they advanced. 
Here also the Blue Jay, disappeared; as if the territorial boundaries 
and jurisdiction of these two noisy and voracious families of the same 
tribe had been mutually agreed on, and distinctly settled. But the 
Magpie was found to be fur more daring than the Jay, dashing into 
their very tents, and carrying off the meat from the dishes. One of 
the hunters who accompanied the expedition informed me, that they 
frequently attended him while he was engaged in skinning and clean- 
ing the cntanas sof the deer, bear, or buffalo he had killed, often 
27 * 
