The Black-billed Magpie 



and can make off with his booty 

 with astonishing ease. One 

 early morning, seeing a Magpie 

 fly over the corral with some- 

 thing large and white in his 

 bill, and believing that he had 

 alighted not far beyond, I fol- 

 lowed quickly and frightened 

 him from a large hen's egg, 

 which bore externally the marks 

 of the bird's bill, but which was 

 unpierced. Of course the only 

 remedy for such a habit is the 

 shot-gun. 



To say that Magpies are 

 garrulous would be as trite as 

 to say hens cackle, and the ad- 

 jective could not be better 

 defined than "talking like a 

 Magpie." The Magpie is the 

 symbol of loquacity. The very 

 type in which this is printed is 

 small pica; that is, small Mag- 

 pie. Much of this bird's con- 

 versation is undoubtedly unfit 

 for print, but it has always the 

 merit of vivacity. A party of 

 Magpies will keep up a running 

 commentary on current events, 

 now facetious, now vehement, 

 as they move about; while a 

 comparative cessation of the 

 racket means, as likely as not, 

 that some favorite raconteur is 

 holding forth, and that there 

 will be an explosion of riotous 



laughter when his tale is done. The pie, like Nero, aspires to song; but 

 no sycophant will be found to praise him, for he intersperses his more tune- 

 ful musings with chacks and barks and harsh interjections which betray 

 a disordered taste. In modulation and quality, however, the notes some- 

 times verge upon the human; and it is well known that Magpies can be 

 instructed until they acquire a handsome repertoire of speech. 



Taken in Inyo County 



Photo by the Author 



EXPOSTULATION 



UNDOUBTEDLY UNFIT FOR PRINT 



35 



