132 
MAGPIE. 
Britain ; as appears by accounts from that quarter, where premiums, it 
is said, are offered for his head, as an arch poacher ; and penalties in- 
flicted on all those who permit him to breed on their premises. Under 
the lash of such rigorous persecution, a few years will probably exter- 
minate the whole tribe from the island. He is also destructive 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 larvae 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 domes- 
ticated, 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 disorder ; 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 witli m'ooI, 
cow hair, and feathers ; the whole is surrounded, roofed, and barrica- 
doed with thorns, leaving only a narrow entrance. The eggs are usually 
five, of a greenish color, marked with numerous black or dusky spots. 
In the northern parts of Europe, he migrates at the commencement of 
winter. 
In this country the Magpie was first taJvcn 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 oi JTeart-bird, for what reason is 
uncertain. It appears, however, to be rather rare in that quarter. 
These circumstances are taken notice of by Mr. Pennant and other 
British naturalists. 
In 1804, the exploring party under the command of 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 expedition, informed me that they frequently attended 
him while he was engaged in skinnino; 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 Kooskoos-ke 
river, on the west side of the great range of the Rocky Mountains, they 
were found to be equally numerous. 
