NEST OE THE MAGPIE. 
That is to say, these are the only colours he wears in captivity ; 
but when at large, when darting here and there in the sun- 
shine, and among the green leaves, with his broad tail spread 
like a fan, tints of purple and green are revealed, which, 
coming and going as he flies in the sunshine and out of it, 
gives a dazzle and splendour to his plumage never to be seen 
between the bars of a cage. 
The magpie’s nest is, I think, one of the most remarkable 
structures to be met with in bud architecture. It is a com- 
plete fortress, and impregnable to stoats, weasels, and even to 
foxes. The centre of a thorny hedge or tree is generally the 
site chosen. The nest is pumpkin-shaped, with a slit in the 
side, just large enough for the bird to pass in and out. The 
outer part is composed of branches firmly laced and tied to the 
branches of the hedge or tree ; and while nests have been found 
measuring externally two feet in diameter, the interior, warmly 
lined with the hah* of animals and vegetable down, measured 
no more than six inches in diameter. A celebrated naturalist 
thus speaks of a magpie’s nest he discovered, — “ While travel- 
ling between Huntly and Portsay (Scotland), I observed two 
magpies hopping round a gooseberry -bush in a small garden, 
near a poor -looking house, in a peculiar manner, and flying out 
and into the bush. I stepped aside to see what they were 
doing, and found, from the poor man and his wife, that as 
there are no trees all around for some miles, these magpies, 
during several succeeding years, had built their nest and 
brought up their young in this bush, and, that foxes, cats, 
hawks, and other creatures, might not interrupt them, they 
had barricaded, not only their nest, but had encircled the bush 
with briars and thorns in a formidable manner ; nay, so com- 
pletely, that it would have given the fox, cunning as he is, 
some days’ labour to get into the nest. The materials inside 
of the nest were soft, warm, and comfortable ; but all on the 
outside so rough, so strong, and firmly entwined with the bush, 
that without a hedge-knife, hatch-bill, or something of the 
kind, even a man could not, without much pain and trouble, 
get at their young ; for, from the outside to the lower part of 
their nest, extended as long as my arm.” 
The erection of so formidable a castle, of course occupies a long 
time, sometimes as long as six or eight weeks, both birds labouring 
indefatigably, and sometimes carrying the heavier portion of the 
materials between them. Then seven or eight bluish white 
coloured eggs, spotted with greenish brown, are laid, and male 
59 
