560 Birds. 



It is not easy to imagine how these ideas became associated with 

 the appearance of certain numbers of magpies. Perhaps it may be 

 as follows. "Ane 's joy:" during the season of nesting, when we see 

 a solitary magpie, we may presume that its nest is built and is still 

 uninjured, and that its mate is seated there in all the bliss of mater- 

 nal anxiety. With that family, then, all is well. " Two 's grief : " 

 suppose the nest of the happy pair destroyed by some evil-worker, the 

 poor birds would be seen together, lamenting to each other their ruin- 

 ed prospects. " Three 's a wedding : " in the pairing season, how 

 often do we see three birds together. As amongst men, two indivi- 

 duals are often found seeking the hand of some fair lady, so amongst 

 the birds, two suitors frequently present themselves to some amiable 

 and dashing belle, and she is called on to say which she prefers. Af- 

 ter her choice is made, the wedding takes place. " Four 's a death : " 

 when the young of the magpie have left the nest, and are seen hop- 

 ping about to the number of four or more, well may the housekeeper 

 or hen-wife beware lest there be a death in her poultry-yard. Per- 

 haps the origin of the last line — " Four 's a death," may be traced to 

 the circumstance of magpies holding assize-courts, similar to those 

 said to be held by sparrows, crows, storks, &c. Speaking of these 

 kinds of assemblies, Pliny says, " There is in the open and champaign 

 country of Asia Pithonas-Comes a place, where the storks assemble 

 together, and being met keep up a jangling one with another : but, in 

 the end, look which of them lagged behind and came tardy, — him 

 they tear in pieces, and then depart." We can scarcely avoid be- 

 lieving that there is some truth in the preceding extract, for credible 

 authors of a modern age affirm that they have witnessed similar as- 

 semblies and proceedings in the case of crows. At these meetings, it 

 is said, "there is a regular trial of a delinquent, who, upon being found 

 guilty, receives a severe drubbing from the whole court, and is even 

 sometimes killed outright." Now, probably, magpies sometimes thus 

 meet, try, chastise and put to death ! 



Perhaps a few of the readers of ' The Zoologist,' will consider some 

 of the preceding notes as out of place ; but others, I am sure, will re- 

 gard them with a more favourable eye. Amazing commentaries have 

 been written on the rhymes of the people on various subjects : why 

 not, then, a few words upon those which speak of the studies of the 

 naturalist. Robert Dick Duncan. 



Vale of Almond, Mid Calder, Edinburghshire, 

 April 15, 1844. 



