252 
MAGPIES. 
other interesting particulars of the sagacity shown 
by a pair of Magpies. Observing them hopping 
round a gooseberry-bush, and flying in and out of it 
in an extraordinary manner, he noticed the circum- 
stance to the owners of the house in which he was, 
who informed him that as there were no trees in 
the neighbourhood they had for several years built 
their nest, and brought up their young in that bush. 
And that foxes, cats, hawks, &c. might not inter- 
rupt them, they had barricadoed not only the nest, 
but the bush itself all round, with briers and thorns, 
in a formidable manner. The materials in the inside 
of the nest were soft, warm, and comfortable to the 
touch, but all round, on the outside, so rough, strong, 
and firmly entwined with the bush, that, without a 
hedge-knife, or something of the kind, even a man 
could not, without much pain and trouble, get at 
their young ; the barrier from the outer to the inner 
edge, being above a foot in breadth. Frogs, mice, 
worms, or anything living were plentifully brought 
to their young. One day, one of the parent-birds 
attacked a rat, but not being able to kill it, one of 
the young ones came out of the nest and assisted in 
its destruction, which was not finally accomplished 
till the other old one, arriving with a dead mouse, 
also lent its aid. The female was observed to be the 
most active and thievish, and withal very ungrate- 
ful; for although the children about the house had 
often frightened cats and hawks from the spot, yet 
she one day seized a chicken, and carried it to the 
top of the house to eat it, where the hen immedi- 
ately followed, and having rescued the chicken, 
brought it safely down in her beak ; and it was 
