MAGPIE. 
251 
^**niliarly known. He is particularly pernicious to 
plantations of young oaks, tearing up tke acorns ; and 
^Iso to birds, dc.stroying great numbers of their eggs 
^nd young, even young chickens, partridges, grouse, 
^•>d pheasants. It is perhaps on this last account that 
llie whole vengeance of the game laws has lately been 
J^t loose upon him in some parts of Britain, as appears 
“y accounts from that quarter, where premiums, it is 
*aid, arc offered for his head, as an an li poacher ; and 
Paiudties inflicted on all those who permit him to breed 
their premises. Under the lash of such rigorous 
persecution, a few years will probably exterminate the 
''’hole tribe from tlie island. He is also destructive to 
Hardens and orchards ; is noisy and restless, almost 
Constantly living from jilace to place ; alights on the 
, acks of the cattle, to riil them of the larvm that fester 
Jo the skin ; is content with cai-rion ivhcn nothing 
oetter offers ; eats various kinds of vegetables, and 
'lovours greedily grain, worms, and insects of almost 
description. When domesticated, he is easily 
^aght to imitate the human voice, and to articulate 
Jcords pretty distinctly ; has all the pilfering habits of 
o's tribe, filling every chink, nook, and crevice, with 
"'hatever he can carry off; is subject to the epilepsy, 
Cc some similar disorder; and is, on the whole, a crafty, 
Costless, and uoi.sy bird. 
, Pic generally selects a tall tree, adjoining the farm 
Ijouse, for his nest, which is placed among the highest 
“'■auches ; this is large, composed outn ardly of sticks, 
'•'ots, turf, and dry weeds, and well lined with wool, 
’•'•''v hair, and feathers ; the whole is surrounded, roofed, 
’"*<1 hiirricaded with thorns, le.aving only a narrow 
^''trance. The eggs arc usually five, of a greenish 
.'•'our, marked with numerous black or dusky spots. 
the northern part.s of Europe, he migrates at the 
'^"•Umeucement of winter. 
l« this country, the magi)ie was first taken notice of 
the factories," or trading houses, on Hudson’s Bay, 
^here the Indians used sometimes to bring it in, and 
it the name of Heart-bird, — for what reason is 
