252 
CORVUS PICA. 
uncertain. It appears, however, to be rather rare in 
that quarter. These circumstances are taken notice of 
by Mr Pennant and other British naturalists. 
In 1804, the exploring party under the command of 
Captains Lewis and Clark, on their route to the Pacific 
Ocean across the continent, first met with the magpie 
somewhere near the great bend of the Missouri, and 
found that the number of these birds increased as they 
advanced. Here also the blue jay disappeared ; as if 
the territorial boundaries and jurisdiction of these two 
noisy 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 accom- 
panied the expedition informed me, that they frequently 
attended him while he was engaged in skinning and 
cleaning the carcass of the deer, bear, or buffalo 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 rocky 
mountains, they were found to be equally numerous. 
It is highly probable that those vast plains or prairies, 
abounding 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. Colonel Pike relates, that 
in the month of December, 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 
miserable 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 
