ClafsIL MAGPIE. 171 



V. The MAGPIE. 



La Pie. Bek'n cv. 2gi. Gazza, Putta. Zlnan. 66. 

 pica varia et caudau. G(/«<.Tfi-z/. Corvus Pica. Lin. fyji. \^j, 



69^. Skata, Skiura,Skara, Faaa.^a^r. 



Jldf. av. i. 392. fp. 92. 



The Magpie, or Pianet. Wil. £)««//^Skade, Huus SkadciVo^-'z;. 



om. 127. Skior, Tunfugl. Bruntiich ^z, 



Raii J]n. an;. 41. Alfter. Kram. 335. 



La Pie. Brijfcn ii. 35. ^r. Zw/. 77. place D. 2. 



^'HF^HE great beauty of this very common bird 

 •^ was fo little attended to, that the editors of the 

 Britijh Zoology thought fit to publifh a print of ic 

 after a painting by the celebrated Barlow. The 

 marks of this fpecies are fo well known, that it would 

 be impertinent to detain the reader with the par- 

 ticulars. 



We fhall only obferve the colors of this bird : 

 it's black, it's white, it's green, and purple, and the 

 rich and gilded combination of glofTes on the tail, are 

 at left equal to thofe that adorn the plumage of any 

 other. It bears a great refemblance to the butcher- 

 bird in its bill, which has a fharp procefs near the 

 end of the upper mandible ; in the Ihortnefs of its 

 wings, and the form of the tail, each feather fhorten- 

 ing from the two middlemoft : it agrees alio in its 

 food ; which are worms, infeds, and fmall birds. Ic 

 will deftroy young chickens : it is a crafty, redlefs, 

 noify bird : it builds its neft with great art, covering 

 it entirely with thorns, except one fmall hole for ad- 

 mittance : and lays fix or k^tn. eggs of a pale green 

 color fpotted with brown. The magpie weighs near 



N 2 nine 



