544 
THE STORY OF THE BIRDS . 
number, and the birds are in the habit of carrying to their young fishes from 
six to seven inches in length, and these are always swallowed whole.” 
Rock Pigeon—The rock pigeon, or blue rock, as it is sometimes called, is 
found throughout Europe, and as far east as India. In the original wild 
stock of the blue rock the plumage is gray, the rump white, and the neck 
and upper breast metallic green and purple, while there are two narrower 
black bars across the wing and a broader one across the end of the tail. It 
is found in a wild state where caves and deep fissures exist, and is common 
along the northern coasts of Scotland and Ireland. 
Goat-Sucker—This bird is even better known by its true name of night¬ 
jar. It has a broad beak set with strong bristles. The plumage is a dark 
ashy gray with markings of black and buff. The males have a large patch 
of white on the quills and at the end of the tail coverts. They are found 
nearly all over the world, but never go very far north. Its food consists of 
insects, which it hunts at twilight. It belongs to the same family as the 
whippoorwill, and in some localities is known as the churn-owl. 
Gray Partridge—The common gray partridge is one of the finest of game 
birds. The chestnut horseshoe mark on the breast is the most conspicuous 
part of its plumage. In other respects it harmonizes with its surroundings 
of gray and brown. It is too well-known to need any extended description. 
Red Partridge—In this handsome bird the upper parts are brown shading 
into chestnut. The chin and throat are white, as is the eye stripe. When 
pursued they try to escape by running. The home of the red partridge is in 
Southwestern Europe.' 
Magpie—The plumage of the common magpie is black and white, and its 
form and habits are those of a crow. They are extremely active and noisy. 
Like the jackdaw they are not particular about the location of their nest. 
The eggs number from five to seven, are bluish-white, with greenish-brown 
spots. In Europe, magpies fall prey to sportsmen who hunt them with fal¬ 
cons. 
Golden Oriole-^Every spring the golden oriole leaves his home in India 
and pays -a visit to northern Europe. Until the beech tree is in leaf it has 
some difficulty in concealing its brilliant plumage among the bare twigs. 
The male is a rich golden-yellow above, the wings being black, broadly edged 
with yellow; the tail is black, tipped with yellow, while the entire under 
surface is golden yellow. The back of the female is tinged with green. The 
enemy of the golden oriole is the sparrow hawk. In Europe this bird is 
usually silent, but in India it constantly pours out a flute-like note. 
