MAGPIE. 
187 
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 skinning 
and cleaning the carcass of the deer, bear or buffaloe 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. 
It is highly probable that those vast plains or prairies, abound- 
ing with game and cattle, frequently killed for the mere hides, 
tallow, or even marrow-bones, may be one great inducement 
for the residency of these birds, so fond of flesh and carrion. 
Even the rigorous severity of winter in the high regions along 
the head waters of Rio du Nord, the Arkansaw and Red river, 
seems insufficient to force them from those favourite haunts; 
though it appears to increase their natural voracity to a very 
uncommon degree. Pike relates, that, in the month of Decem- 
ber, in the neighbourhood of the North mountain, N. lat. 41°, 
W. long. 34°, Reaumur’s thermometer standing at 17° below 0, 
these birds were seen in great numbers. “Our horses,” says 
he, “ were obliged to scrape the snow away to obtain their mi- 
“serable pittance; and to increase their misfortunes, the poor 
“animals were attacked by the Magpies, who, attracted by the 
“scent of their sore backs, alighted on them, and in defiance 
“ of their wincing and kicking, picked many places quite raw. 
“ The difficulty of procuring food rendering those birds so bold 
‘‘ as to light on our men’s arms, and eat meat out of their hands. ”* 
The Magpie is eighteen inches in length; the head, neck, 
upper part of the breast and back, are a deep velvetty black; 
primaries brownish black, streaked along their inner vanes with 
white; secondaries rich purplish blue; greater coverts green blue; 
Pike’s Journal, p. 170. 
