59 
and the bird observe him, that she will 
transport the eggs to some other place, 
either between her claws, or in a way that 
would puzzle our best balancing masters; 
namely, by glueing to the under side of a 
twig, wilh her excrements, an egg at each 
end, and taking the burthen equally 
poised on her neck. 
Numerous similar anecdotes might be 
selected, but we think the above sufficient. 
Even at the present day in various parts 
of England, if one of these birds is ob- 
served flying by itself, it is accounted by 
the vulgar a sign of ill-luck: if two they 
are supposed to forebode something for- 
tunate: three indicate a wedding, and four 
a funeral. 
These important auguries have been 
comprised in the following distich: 
One for sorrow, two for mirth, 
Three for a wedding, and four for death. 
The Magpie is a shy bird, (as we have 
before observed) and therefore very diffi- 
cult to be taken. It is recommended to 
fix an egg with warm pitch on the bridge 
of a steel trap. The bird not being able 
