. The natural history of cage birds : their management, habits, food, diseases, treatment, breeding, and the methods of catching them . any thing it can get. In confinement it must be fed like the jay; but it is more easily tamed,and accustomed to use different words. It is so fond of animal food, thatif a live jay were thrown into its cage it would kill it and eat it in aquarter of an hour ; it will even eat whole squirrels which have been shot,and which other small birds of prey fly from with disgust. THE MAGPIE. 43 Breeding. —Its nest, placed in a hollow tree, generally contains five orsix
. The natural history of cage birds : their management, habits, food, diseases, treatment, breeding, and the methods of catching them . any thing it can get. In confinement it must be fed like the jay; but it is more easily tamed,and accustomed to use different words. It is so fond of animal food, thatif a live jay were thrown into its cage it would kill it and eat it in aquarter of an hour ; it will even eat whole squirrels which have been shot,and which other small birds of prey fly from with disgust. THE MAGPIE. 43 Breeding. —Its nest, placed in a hollow tree, generally contains five orsix eggs, with transverse brown streaks scattered on a dark olive greyground. The young are reared on meat. Mode of Taking.—It may be taken in autumn by a noose, hangingservice berries to it; success is more sure if some nuts be put near. Itmay also be taken in the water-trap. Attractive Qualities.—Its actions are as amusing as those of ashrike; it imitates the voice of many animals, and chatters as much asthe jay. To judge from the form of its tongue, it seems possible to teachit to speak, if attempted when young. THE Corvus Pica, Linn/eus ; La Pie, Buffon ; Die Elster, Bechstein. As the magpie generally frequents places near the abode ofman, it is well known. It is eighteen inches in length, ofwhich the tail alone measures ten. It may be called a hand-some bird, although its plumage is only black and white, forthese colours are perfect in their kind, and the tail, near theend, shines with a purple tint, gradually shading into steelblue. Habitation.—The magpie builds its nest on trees which are near townsand villages ; its eggs are pale green, speckled with grey and brown. Inautumn the young ones assemble together in small parties. Food.—When wild, the magpie lives on worms, insects, fruits, or roots,and sometimes eats eggs and young birds in their nest. In the house, it likes bread, meat, and anything that comes from table ;in short, when once tamed it does not
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