388 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[May 18, 1895. 
IN ARMY DAYS. 
We were genuinely happy in those days. And why 
shouldn't we be? The garrison was just large enough for 
comfort and companionship, and not large enough for 
factions to exist. Our cozy little dinners, informal hops, 
with, alas, a painful scarcity of ladies, horseback rides, 
hunting and picnic parties, with, incidentally, attention 
to routine duties, kept us very busy. 
True, Capt. Payne, with his "boomers," had called out 
more of the troops, but that made it only more incumbent 
on those of us who were left to double our efforts to ex- 
tract pleasure from the passing hour. We forgot that 
we were over a hundred miles away from railroads and 
what is, possibly incorrectly, believed to be civilization. 
After all, "it is not so much where you are as who you 
are with." 
We had just finished a dainty little lunch, hastily im- 
provised, but such a lunch as only an army lady can get 
up at short notice. Cold quail, shrimp salad, Edam cheese, 
olives: a bottle of claret for the ladies and several bottles 
of Schlitz for the sterner sex. We had adjourned to the 
broad piazza just as the sentry at post No. 1 called out: 
"Eleven o'clock, and all's well." The ladies were nibbling 
at the box of chocolates which the party who dispensed 
mail, after he had finished reading the postal cards over 
at Evansville, had brought with him. The gentlemen 
lighted their cigars and all was peace. 
Even Bebe felt the influence of the clear, cool atmos- 
phere, the absolute calm that prevailed, and was perfectly 
quiet. And it took a good deal in those days to quiet 
Bebe. True, she had ridden some twenty miles on horse- 
back that day, danced a little that evening, sang "Only a 
Pansy Blossom" four times to different callers, who, as is 
the custom in the army, had dropped in for a few mo- 
ments — but all of that was not enough to appease her. 
Bebe was a Kentucky girl with a full 100 per cent, of 
effervescence and buoyant spirits. It was not necessary 
to make a diagram of a joke for her to see it. In fact, 
she could invariably see the comical aspect of a situation, 
as her admirers found to their cost. And then there was 
Mrs. K. O. (in army posts the commanding ofiicer is 
known as the "K. O."), young, jolly and altogether de- 
lightful. 
Our hostess was a little mite of a woman, with a dis- 
position as sunny as her native blue grass fields, and a 
frank, generous, unaffected hospitality which would have 
betrayed her origin, even if she had not occasionally used 
the words "you all" and "we all." I have always been 
under the impression that she was a hypnotist, for, little 
as she was, when she commanded every one obeyed with- 
out question. Maybe it was the quality of her dinners, 
for no man who ever had an opportunity to test one would 
ever take any chances on gaining her frown. 
Then there was the surgeon, a devoted admirer of our 
hostess, this being especially creditable to his discern- 
ment in having married her some years previously. 
Then came Lieut. Waters, proud of his new marksman's 
button and owner of anew pup.1 tWe all knew about the 
pup and its pedigree. In fact, we had each of us learned 
it by heart. And when one of the party suggested hiring 
a good strong man to whom he could daily talk about 
that spotted dog, a subscription ample in amount was at 
once underwritten, 
Then there was the person they all called "Cot," the 
"Pooh-Bah" of Evansville. 
Our hostess spoke up: "Let's we all go hunting to-mor- 
row." 
It was unanimously agreed to, and sure enough next 
day about four in the afternoon we started out. We were 
not selfish in those days, and the ladies were just as much 
a part of a chicken hunt as our guns. 
We rolled out of the post. The Doctor and his wife in 
his low, open rig; the Lieutenant in his cart, with the 
wonderful spotted pup at his feet, and Bebe acting as 
driver; Cot with an equally charming driver and a plain 
dog at his feet. Cot had out his light cart and cow-pony 
Billy, than whom a wiser horse never existed. To tell 
the truth, Cot got tired of hearing about that spotted pup 
just when he had a real new trick of Billy's to tell about. 
It is hot on the prairies in September, but the breeze 
makes one forget. Snugly under the rear seat of the 
Doctor's surrey a big watermelon, that had been on ice for 
twenty-four hours, lay wrapped in its wet blanket. There 
was also a hamper, heavy laden, and under another wet 
blanket several articles which required the assistance of a 
corkscrew to rise to the occasion. 
Two miles below the post, just across the cattle trail, 
we put the dogs out, and the three rigs, about five hun- 
dred feet apart, proceeded up wind, following the dogs, 
who were working out the ground. There were no wire 
fences in those days, so we went wherever the dogs chose, 
for Cot many years before had learned that though Custer 
was a dog of doubtful parentage he knew where birds 
were. This may be a hint for others. In an open prairie 
country, or when after quail, if you have a reliable dog 
that is experienced, you will get far more shots at birds 
by allowing him to hunt where he wants to than you 
will by compelling him to work where you think they are. 
Soon a covey flushed, and we followed them until both 
dogs pointed staunchly. Four birds fell and the rest 
scattered. Now came in the advantage of having drivers 
along. Each hunter was followed by his vehicle, and 
when the last bird was put up (and missed) his rig was 
waiting some fifty feet away. We agreed, after getting 
some twenty chickens, that it was a pretty good time to 
investigate the watermelon and its neighbors. When 
taken after an hour's tramp over the prairie, iced water- 
melon and Mumm's are to be commended. Then the too 
short ride into the post under the early moon, and we 
arrived home shortly before tattoo, neither "cold, tired 
and hungry" (as your correspondents generally do), but 
genuinely happy. 
And our hostess announced, "I think we all will go 
after quail Friday." Of course we went. If she had de- 
cided that we should all go jump into the Canadian, this 
article would never have been written. I am goin» to 
read up on hy pnotism. Algodon. 
Minnesota Game and Fish Protective Association. 
St. Paul, Minn., May 11.— The approaching State 
meeting to form the voluntary association is the talk 
among sportsmen of the entire State. The success will be 
great. Not in the history of Minnesota has so much in- 
terest been before taken in its wild game and fish possi- 
bilities. It is understood that Governor Clough will name 
the new State Commission in a few days. Who will con- 
stitute it is but a matter of conjecture, W. L,. Tucker, 
THE AMERICAN MAGPIE. 
BY CAPT. CHAS. E. EENDIRE. 
From advance sheets of "Life Histories of N. A. Birds, with especial 
reference to their Breeding Habits and Eggs." 
Pica pica hudsonica, Sabine. 
Corvas hudsonicus, Sahine. Appendix Franklin's Jour- 
ney. 1823, 25. 671. 
Pica pica hudsonica, Jordan, Manual of Vertebrates, 
fourth edition, 1884, 94. 
(B 432, C 233, R k86, C 347, TJ 475.) 
Geographical Range: Middle and western North Amer- 
ca, from Alaska and the Alaskan Peninsula south through 
British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, northeastern 
California, northern and middle Nevada, northern Ari- 
zona and northern New Mexico. EaBt , to pastern Color- 
ado, western Nebraska, western South and North Dakota, 
and western Manitoba, as well as the intervening regions, 
as Utah, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Casually strag- 
gling in winter to western Kansas, eastern Nebraska, 
northwestern Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, 
and the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada. 
The American or blackbilled magpie is one of the best 
known and most characteristic birds of our western avi- 
fauna; it is generally a resident and breeds wherever 
found, excepting, perhaps, in the extreme northern por- 
tions of its range in Alaska and along the eastern border, 
the regions of the great plains, where it occasionally 
wanders eastward in the late fall or winter, probably 
driven away from its usual haunts by scarcity of food or 
severe storms, which so frequently occur in these sections 
of country at such times. 
The American magpie is a handsome and striking look- 
ing bird, certain to be noticed by any one, even if not 
ornithologically inclined, extremely pert in its general 
THE AMERICAN MAGPIE. 
From photograph by E. Hofer. 
bearing and movements, both on the ground and in trees, 
and the strongly contrasting colors of its plumage are 
sure to draw attention to it at once. On the wing, how- 
ever, it shows to less advantage. Its flight is slow and 
wavering, and in windy weather evidently laborious. 
The long, wedge-shaped tail seems then to be decidedly in 
the way and a positive disadvantage, causing it no little 
trouble in flying from point to point, and in such weather 
it wili only through necessity leave the sheltered bottom- 
lands it usually frequents. 
Although more or less quarrelsome, it is social in dis- 
position and likes to be in the company of its kind. I have 
frequently seen from twelve to thirty feeding together 
near a slaughter house, or some other locality where food 
was abundant; but such gatherings are oftener met with 
in the late fall and winter than during the season of re- 
production. They are jolly, noisy scamps, nearly always 
chattering or scolding even when alone. ' Where not 
molested and shot at, they soon lose their usual shyness, 
and will frequently allow one to approach them within a 
few feet; but notwithstanding this seeming confidence, 
they are constantly on their guard against danger, and I 
know no bird more intelligent, cunning, impudent and 
saucy at the same time than our magpie. They appear 
to comprehend the difference between a shotgun and a 
stick from the day they are able to fly. 
I have had many opportunities to observe these birds 
closely, and have long ago been forced to the conclusion 
that their intelligence and reasoning powers are astonish- 
ing. I will only mention one instance of their sagacity, 
showing how several of these birds Beemingly worked in 
perfect accord with each other to accomplish an object 
which one bird could not have carried out. 
While stationed at Fort Lapwai, Idaho, on the Nez 
Perce Indian Reservation, from 1869 to 1871, where mag- 
pies were exceedingly abundant, I possessed a fine setter 
dog, my constant companion in all my excursions, who 
assisted me in finding many rare nests, and whom I regu- 
larly fed myself, giving him, when the more liquid por- 
tion of his meal was finished, a well-boiled soup bone, 
with more or less meat attached, by way of dessert. I 
made him carry this on the lawn in front of my quarters, 
while I sat on the porch watching him. I soon noticed 
that, generally a minute or so after the dog appeared with 
his bone, from four to six magpies would invariably be 
close by, though not a single one was in sight a minute or 
so before. These birds placed themselves in different 
positions around the dog, plainly showing a preconcerted 
arrangement, and were ready for business at once. One 
stationed itself directly in front of the dog's nose and 
about two feet a way, another behind within easy reach of 
the tail, and one or two by his side. As soon as the dog 
was busily engaged in gnawing his bone, held in place by 
his forepaws, the bird stationed in the rear would make a 
vicious aash at his tail and peck it severely, which natu- 
rally enraged Rock, who quickly wheeled round, left the 
bone and tried to catch the offender, who in the mean- 
time flew slowly and leisurely away, tolling the 
dog after him as far as possible by fluttering 
almost within his reach, and while this little ruse 
was enacted the remaining birds promptly helped 
themselves. I saw this performance several times 
and soon noticed that the different birds forming this 
foraging party could be readily distinguished by the vari- 
ation in size, the length of the tail, or some injury to the 
tail or wing feathers, etc., and this led to a still more re- 
markable discovery in this connection. After the dog re- 
turned to resume his interrupted meal, another bird took 
the position at the dog's tail, while the one occupying it 
previously moved to the best place, that in front of the 
dog's head, to enable it to get its share of the spoils. I 
observed this maneuver several times and it did not take 
the dog very long to see through it as well, so that unless 
I forced him to stay on the lawn he would at once carry 
the bone under the porch, where the birds did not dare to 
follow him. If this incident does not show an extra- 
ordinary amount of intelligence and reasoning power I 
do not know what else would. There seemed to be a per- 
fect understanding from the start about the mode of at- 
tack by which they accomplished their purpose, which 
could not have been done in any other way to make it 
successful.. 
That they are most skilful thieves is well known to any 
one acquainted with these birds. It might puzzle a bird 
of another species how to manage to carry off an egg 
larger than it can grasp in its bill, but not the magpie. 
If too large to carry in the ordinary way, it simply runs its 
beak through the shell and carries it off in this manner. 
If one manages to find the entrance to a hen house, eggs 
will always be scarce thereafter. Aside from its thieving 
propensities it is also one of the most mischievous birds I 
know, and enjoys scaring and deceiving better behaved 
members of the feathered tribe. It will mimic the cry of 
a hawk as well as that of the jay, and seems to delight in 
causing the poultry to run in every direction or in imitat- 
ing the cackle of a hen just after she has deposited an egg- 
and causing the roosters to search for her; in fact, it de, 
lights in playing tricks of all kinds and seems to enjoy 
them thoroughly. An enumeration of the various mis- 
deeds and laughable performances of a pet magpie belong- 
ing to one of the cavalry troops I served with would fill a 
fair-sized book, but would be out of place here. 
Some of these birds are far more intelligent than 
others. Any bright, glittering object is sure to draw their 
attention and it is promptly picked up and secreted, it 
matters not how large it may be, if it is not too heavy to 
carry or drag away. 
The Southern and Eastern range of the American mag- 
pie has become somewhat restricted within recent years, 
and they are no longer found in localities where thirty 
years ago they were reported as fairly common. It pre- 
fers rather open country, shuns the heavy forests and 
strictly desert regions, and. in the Rocky Mountains has 
been observed at high altitudes. The shrubbery and 
undergrowth found along watercourses and Bprings in 
the foothills regions, and the canons in the higher moun- 
tains, seem to be their favorite habitat. 
The ordinary call note is a querulous each, each, or 
chaeck chaeck, uttered in a high key and disagreeable to the 
ear, but it frequently utters also a low, garrulous gabble, 
intermixed with whistling notes, not at all unpleasing, as 
if talking to itself; while if annoyed at anything it does 
not hesitate to show its displeasure by scolding in the 
most unmistakable manner. The magpie spends con- 
siderable time on the ground in search of food, and while 
the walk is somewhat jerky it is graceful, and in moving 
about the handsome wedge-shaped tail is slightly elevated 
and constantly twitched; occasionally, as when in a 
hurry, the ordinary walk is varied to a series of hops. 
Their flight is never very protracted, and is only resorted 
to when necessary. 
The general habits of the American magpie vary some- 
what in different localities. In some sections, as soon as 
the snow disappears birds which have spent the winter 
months in the vicinity of farms and cattle or sheep 
ranches, unquestionably attracted to such places by a 
more abundant food supply, leave them and retire from 
the immediate vicinity of settlements to take up their 
housekeeping duties in more secluded localities ; while in 
other places these birds remain the year round and breed 
in close proximity to man. At Fort Lapwai, Idaho, 
more than thirty pairs bred within a radius of a mile of 
the post, and several within a hundred yards of some of 
the houses in perfectly exposed situations. 
Their food during the greater part of the year consists 
mainly of insects, especially of the large black cricket, so 
numerous and destructive in certain seasons in the West; 
grasshoppers, grubs and larvae of different kinds, angle 
worms, crawfish, small mammals, birds, their young and 
eggs, all sorts of carrion, offal from slaughter houses and 
kitchen refuse generally. In the summer and fall, fruits 
and berries also enter, to some extent, into their bill of 
fare. In the winter, when food becomes scarce, they 
are charged with pecking holes in the backs of sore- 
backed horses, freshly branded cattle and scabby sheep. 
While this is possibly true to a limited extent in ex- 
ceptionally severe winters, I have never observed it, 
although stationed on several Indian reservations, 
where sore-backed ponies were common enough; but I 
have seen them industriously pecking away at green 
hides hung out to dry. Mr. John Bucher, of Warner 
Valley, Ore., states that he has observed numbers of mag- 
pies on the backs of cattle in the spring eating grubs, 
larvaa of Hypoderma bovis, which infest the backs of old 
and thin animals, and he is likewise of the opinion that 
they do not confine their attention to the grubs alone, but 
pick at the living flesh as well. 
Mr. W. G. Smith, lately of Loveland, Col., writes me: 
"Among other pets I kept a tame magpie and a lot of 
guinea pigs, several of the latter dying from some un- 
known cause. One day I caught the magpie in the act 
of pecking out the eye of one; I then examined the dead 
ones and found that they all had both eyes picked out. A 
charge of shot soon settled the culprit." 
The American magpie is undoubtedly more or less of a 
rowdy and scapegrace among its kind, but on the whole 
I think he is not quite as black as usually painted, and 
while it cannot be denied that he does some harm, I must 
admit that he also does considerable good, and the latter 
compensates perhaps fully for all its misdeeds. 
The nesting season begins early — in Colorado, northeast- 
ern California, southern Oregon and Idaho sometimes in 
the first week of April, and usually by the middle of the 
month. In Washington and Montana a couple of weeks 
later, about the latter part of April or the beginning of 
May, and in the more northern portions of their range in. 
