MAGPIE. jq 



are taken notice of by Mr Pennant and other British 

 naturalists. 



In 1804, an exploring party under the command of Captains 

 Lewis and Clark, on their route to the Pacific Ocean across 

 the continent, first met with the magpie somewhere near the 

 great bend of the Missouri, and found that the number of 

 these birds increased as they advanced. Here also the blue 

 jay disappeared ; as if the territorial boundaries and jurisdic- 

 tion of these two noisy and voracious families of the same tribe 

 had been mutually agreed on, and distinctly settled. But 

 the magpie was found to be far more daring than the jay, 

 dashing into their very tents, and carrying off the meat from 

 the dishes. One of the hunters who accompanied the expedi- 

 tion informed me, that they frequently attended him while he 

 was engaged in skinning and cleaning the carcass of the deer, 

 bear, or buffalo he had killed, often seizing the meat that 

 hung within a foot or two of his head. On the shores of the 

 Koos-koos-ke river, on the west side of the great range of 

 Rocky Mountains, they were found to be equally numerous. 



It is highly probable that those vast plains, or prairies, 

 abounding with game and cattle, frequently killed for the 

 mere hides, tallow, or even marrow bones, may be one great 

 inducement for the residency of these birds, so fond of flesh 

 and carrion. Even the rigorous severity of winter in the high 

 regions along the head waters of Rio du Nord, the Arkansaw, 

 and Red River, seems insufficient to force them from those 

 favourite haunts ; though it appears to increase their natural 

 voracity to a very uncommon degree. Colonel Pike relates, 

 that in the month of December, in the neighbourhood of the 

 North Mountain, N. lat. 41° W. long. 34°, Reaumur's ther- 

 mometer standing at 17° below 0, these birds were seen in 

 great numbers. "Our horses," says he, "were obliged to 

 scrape the snow away to obtain their miserable pittance ; and. 

 to increase their misfortunes, the poor animals were attacked 

 by the magpies, who, attracted by the scent of their sore 

 backs, alighted on them, and, in defiance of their wincing and 



