1 1 6 The Magpie. 



distance. As magpies, however, are found almost everywhere, 

 and in some parts of the country, the north of Scotland for 

 instance, where there are no trees, the poor magpie is then 

 obliged to build in a bush, and do the best he can. In such a 

 case, in Norway, he was known to barricade his nest with 

 thorny branches, brought thither by himself for that purpose, 

 till it was next to impossible for the domicile to be invaded. 

 A cat could not get to it, and a man only with hedging-mit- 

 tens on his hands, and by help of a bill- hook. 



Like the rook, the magpie inhabits the same nest for several 

 years, perhaps for the whole of his life, putting it into repair 

 every year before he again needs it for family use — like a 

 wealthy country family taking possession of their ancestral 

 mansion in the spring. 



And now, turning to our picture, we find our magpie in 

 excellent circumstances. Every thing has gone well with him. 

 Here he is, and I will have the pleasure of giving you a bit of 

 every-day magpie life, as sketched by that true pen-and-ink 

 artist, the author of "British Birds." Our scene opens a few 

 minutes before the time indicated in our picture : — 



"There, on the old ash-tree, you may see a pair, one 

 perched on the topmost twig, the other hopping on the 

 branches below, keeping up an incessant chatter. How grace- 

 fully she, on the topmost twig, swings in the breeze ! Off she 

 starts, and directs her flight to the fir-woods opposite, chatter- 

 ing all the way, seemingly to call her mate after her. But he 

 prefers remaining behind. He is in a brown study, or some- 

 thing of that kind, as we can plainly see. Now, having spied 

 something below, he hops downwards from twig to branch, and 



