JSeuUanJ.KCRaJiler.J/J tl/ith.
P ICA CAUDATA Waller A Cp/trt./m/)
PICA CAUDATA.
Magpie.
Corvut pica, Linn. Faun. Suec., No. 92.
Pica caudala, Linn. Syst. Nat., edit. 6, gen. 40, sp. 8.
— — Eurofxea, Cut.
—— Melanoleuca, Vuiil B»cy. Meth. Orn., part 2. p. 883, pi. 139. fig. I.
I TBi si ih<‘ day may arrive when the people df ibis conu§ry will have acquired .a greater taste for the
ornamental than at present; they may th?h iwye their eves opened to the charms of that one'of our native
bird* in which' is combined all that is graceful and elegant m form and beautiful in colouring: I mean the
British Magpie—the Magot Pie of the immortal Shakspeare. For my a part, I never see this bird in a
state of nature without a feeling of, admiration. I watch all its actions with interest and pleasure. I do
not fail to notice how its varied plumage contrasts with the greensward over v.-hidi it walk'., and, when it is
flying towards a coppice or tree, with what regularity and precision its wiugs -are marked with black and white.
I also admire its pertness, and the elegance of its actions among the* branches. I observe how in this country
it sedulously avoids man, and particularly the keeper of-game, while he walks, gu,n in hand, his daily
while in others, such as Norway and Sweden, It is just as Jamiliar in the approaches it makes'
rden* and to the houses, to the roofs of which it flies for protection,*i£ protection be necessary,
■'-'•'t'. then, are tire ^fagpies of those countries, and of France, where they are similarly treated!
A .waken some of.our landed.proprietors to the necessity of at least in some degree rendering
kippy one.
v cp the Magpie within proper bounds, and find that its propensities are not fatal
'her birfh- within his walled demesne, a i ^ i f Sir William Jardine (who, I know,
?«• ua> not i:’..' Pheasants’ eggs destroyed,or his garden ravaged of its summer
live and ornament the scene. By.t is the Magpie so ornamental ? a^me
rounds
to the g
How fot
Surely -t
its exiyfo^aw famr.
If Mr ■ • .
to the
affords it ié» m
fruits, surely «í&k
of my readers -< ¡
beautiful colours ?
hta-k and white, it is true, form the most Striking contrast; but where ar£ the;
Tim -hi - accompanying Plate will show, although it but faintly represents them; for it TjF
almost beyond the wwwr of the artist to give their faithful portraiture in an ordinary illustration. It will
show, however, that « n y beautiful tints of purple, blue, and green are comprised in the colouring of the tail.
The wings, tt», are mu men ted with two distinct colours—lively blue and bronzy green; and thus it will be
wea that then' . If»» black in the Magpie’s dress than is usually supposed. Where the black does occur,
•■--it- it is i - and the same may be said of the purity of the white, which, with the rest of the
»« well i’.i i--- .'u 'When on the ground or on the branches of trees, the breadth and boldness of
: harmonious combination, well worthy the attention of the artist. Let me ask
ire not well acquainted with the colouring of the Magpie’s tail to giv#ii a careful
1 it far more beautiful than they had previously imagined.
ally dispersed over the British Islands, that any minute account of its distribution
state i hat it does not go so far north in Scotland as the Orkney, Shetland, or
and it is said to have been introduced about the time of^Mizabeth ; a long
ject may be found in the valuable work, on British Birds, by my late friend Mr.
xyf Europe it is nowhere more common than in Norway and Sweden; and, indeed,
r^e to the borders of the Mediterranean. In an eastern direction its apparent
Hi of the rivers Don and Volga; at least we find, to the east and south of this,
be*rmg a general resemblance, are specifically distinct. The one from Siberia I
pte?n rbr Magpie from Mesopotamia has yet, I believe, to be characterized. In
the mwki»*» I
those s f my in
examination:
The Magpie
is imnecessav v • fe* 1 may tit
Western Islands Ireland it ii
dissertation on «mhject may
Yarrell. On the cm*»««*»* «f Eurof
it occurs throughout Korope 0
limit is the neighbour';- • of the
Magpies which, although hcMSHg ;
have lately named P. ieucaptem- tl
the great Himalayan range thcis- >3
Japan there exists a closely allied <
appear to represent each other in
and the P. flamrostris of the west,
another very distinct bird—the P.
r ¿o least two—the P. Bactriana and P. Bottanensis; while in China and
tww—the P. media. The northern parts of America give us two, which
flu- respective countries they inhabit, viz. the P. Hudsonica of the east,
in Northern Africa (the temperate climate of the great Atlas) occurs
Mauriiantca.
■ wide distribution of the genus Pica : I
either in the Old or in the New World.
nay now add that no one
The sexes in our bird, as
In my history of the Jay, I alluded to the
species of the family is found very far south,
well as in all the other members of the genus, closely assimilate in their colouring, and, moreover, are not subject
to any seasonal change: from the nest, they are Magpies to a feather. Of course, the mature bird excels in
brilliancy those of extreme youth; and that is ail. As an arcbiteoL perhaps no bird is more clever; and the