yS MAGPIE. 



particularly pernicious to plantations of young oaks, tearing 

 up the acorns ; and also to birds, destroying great numbers 

 of their eggs and young, even young chickens, partridges, 

 grouse and pheasants. It is perhaps on this last account that 

 the whole vengeance of the game laws has lately been let loose 

 upon him in some parts of Britain, as appears, by accounts 

 from that quarter, where premiums, it is said, are offered for 

 his head, as an arch poacher ; and penalties inflicted on all 

 those who permit him to breed on their premises. Under 

 the lash of such rigorous persecution, a few years will probably 

 exterminate the whole tribe from the island. He is also de- 

 structive to gardens and orchards ; is noisy and restless, almost 

 constantly flying from place to place ; alights on the backs of 

 the cattle, to rid them of the larva? that fester in the skin ; is 

 content with carrion when nothing better offers ; eats various 

 kinds of vegetables, and devours greedily grain, worms, and 

 insects of almost every description. 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 whatever 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, composed 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 colour, marked with numerous black or dusky spots. 

 In the northern parts of Europe, he migrates at the com- 

 mencement 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, how- 

 ever, to be rather rare in that quarter. These circumstances 



