PLA Pe Rey. 
La Pie. Brif. Orn. 2. p.35. No. 1. 
Buff. Oif. 3. p. 85. pl. 70 
PI. enl. 488. 
Aelfter. Frifch. t. 58. 
“Kram. el. P3356 
Guzza, Putta, Zinan. 66. 
Skata, Skiura, Skara, Faun. Suec. fp. 92. 
Danis Skade, Huus Skade. Norv. 
Skior. Tunfugl. Brunnich; 32. 
Praka. Scop. Ne. 38: 

SO: i 
The beautiful combination of vivid gloffes with which the plumage 
of this common bitd is enriched, has been fo little attended to in: 
paintings of it, that we are afraid we fhall be accufed of flattering its 
appearance, bya gaudy introduétion of unnatural tints in the annexed 
figure: to avoid fuch imputation we have ftridtly obferved, and ac- 
curately exprefled the colours from a fpecimen, in our colleétion, 
that had been taken in a ftate of nature. We are aware that the 
colours will vary in different fpecimens of every fpecies, but by cor- 
rectly reprefenting one that is perfect, it will convey a better idea of 
the bird than any of the ‘mutilated creatures kept in ‘cages fot 
amufement. 
The tail of the Magpie is particularly remarkable : its colours are 
more fplendid than any other part of the bird: its form is like a 
wedge; the two middle feathers eleven inches long, the reft decreafe 
gradually, the outermoft being only five inches and an half. The 
principal colour produced by reflection on the black part of the body 
is fine blue, or purple; the firft tint is very vivid on the wings. The 
fineft 
