Like him he is talkative, and ready to imitate all sounds, but boasts of ornamental colours, which the magpie is deprived of.
Plutarch relates a singular story of a Magpie belonging to a barber at Rome, which could imitate, to a wonderful extent, almost every noise that it heard.
From bough to bough the restless Magpie roves, And chatters as he flies.
Some trumpets happened one day to be sounded before the shop; and for a day or two afterwards the Magpie was quite mute, and seemed pensive and melancholy.
Illustration: Lieutenant Ducoux with theMagpie "Anatole" in Malancourt-wood.
Not only the crow was there: a magpie chattered as I came from the brake, but refused to show himself; and a little later a jay screamed at me, as only a jay can.
I could not go away leaving it in that exposed place on the turf, to be found a little later by a magpie or carrion crow or fox, and devoured.
The poor fugitive, seeing her ring turn black, turned off the road and hid herself till night in the cabin of a shepherd, where there was only an old magpie in a cage at the door, and here her baby was born.
Comorre, who had given up the pursuit, was returning home by that road, when he heard the magpie trying to imitate her complaints and calling out "Poor Triphyna!
Of the universally recognised Dualism the black and white magpie was evidently an emblem, and the superstitions in connection with this bird are still potent.
Yes, Old Mother Magpiemade lots of trouble and Billy Bunny had never liked her.
The nest of the Jay is commonly built in a high coppice wood, or hedge, generally many feet from the ground, although it is seldom seen near the tops of tall trees, like those of the Magpie and Crow.
Now, this condition happened to be entirely unknown to me, because I never had seen the American magpie in action in a farming community!
To me our magpie seemed to have a generally unobjectionable record.
The Department replied, in effect, "Why import a foreignmagpie when we have in the West a species of our own quite as handsome, and which could more easily be transplanted?
Mr. Hershey replied that if I really wished the birds for acclimatization, he would gladly procure them for me; but he said that in the thickly-settled farming communities of Colorado, the magpie is now regarded as a pest.
One fine bright evening, the magpie was perched upon a projecting bough of her oak, and the cat, who thought the cottage particularly dull that day, had come out for a little gossip.
Presently she returned, and placed before the cat a dish, containing such a supper, as had never entered her imagination till the magpie enlightened her on these subjects: it was some minutes before she could believe it; was it real?
So when, as I said just now, the baron's grand hunting parties swept past, they afforded the magpie a fine opportunity for displaying her knowledge of life and the world.
Comorre, who had given up the pursuit, was returning home that road, when he heard the magpie trying to imitate her complaints, and calling out "Poor Triphyna!
The poor fugitive, seeing her ring turn black, turned off the road and hid herself till night in the cabin of a shepherd, where was only an old magpie in a cage at the door.
If no magpie chatters in the tree-tops we may at least catch a glimpse of black and white plumage as the wary old campaigner dives into the thickets.
Now, as they come nearer, they break into a chorus of loud, harsh notes, mingling with their own wild sylvan speech scraps borrowed from magpie and missel-thrush.
Crow andmagpie and squirrel hide their homes among the thick foliage of the firs.
From its leafy crest the magpie looks down, meditating another raid upon the hencoop.
No jay or magpie ever suffered here the penalty of evil deeds or tarnished reputation.
The magpie kindly offered me some berries she had gathered.
Still I was not sure that I was a magpie and thought I might settle the matter by singing.
Come and build beside it," but the magpiesaid "No.
Come and build your nest in the reeds and rushes," cried one bird, but the magpie said "No.
Before long all the birds but the magpie had their nests built.
The magpie cried, "I do not know how to build a nest.
But the magpie was lazy, and she thought, "If I do not learn, they will build a nest for me.
Now the magpie was lazy, and she sat still and watched the others at their work.
Baby went as a Magpie and looked very striking, the black and white effect being obtained by draping a white towel straight down one side over the black nether garments belonging to our concert party kit.
The magpie belonged to Russell, and came from Peuplinghe.
There were now three dogs and two cats in camp, not to mention a magpie and two canaries, more of which anon.
Should a magpie be seen stationary on a tree, it was believed that the direction in which it took its flight foretold either success or disaster to the person who observed it.
All at once they espied a magpie on a tree, and by common consent they halted to see which way it would take its flight, and thus foretell the fortune which would attend their journey.
But, just as she was going to leave the 'fould,' a magpie flew before her.
The Magpieteaching a Wood Pigeon how to make a nest.
The magpie was thought to be a great thief, and it was popularly supposed that if its tongue were split into two with silver it could talk like a man.
The hypocritical consolations of the Chatterbox, or as he was also termed the Magpie of Sierra, were powerless to calm him; and he talked of rushing into the street and avenging himself upon the insolent mob.
It belongs to those it likens," murmured the Magpie of Sierra, with the same intentional malignity.
One of the servants having neglected this precaution, was actually found sitting down on the stones to protect her ankles, the magpie triumphantly pacing round her, until aid was brought, and the bird driven away.
The Magpie is an ancient bird and is mentioned by Plutarch and other early writers.
The mischievous habits of themagpie have won for it the name of "the Monkey of the Birds," the Raven as Mr. Wood puts it being "the ornithological baboon.
Now only did I discover what the magpie portended, for with the acquisition of that hurdy-gurdy my life became a burden to me.
When I was barely half-way across an accursed magpie espied me, and came and hovered just over my head, making a loud chattering noise that the hounds must have heard.
A magpie on the tallest of the blackthorns seemed unusually interested in either the boy or his work; but I thought nothing of that.
They were the chief ornaments of the convivial club held at the Magpie Hotel; they helped each other in various bill transactions in which they had been engaged, with the mutual loan of each other's valuable signatures.
The vulture would have capitally typified many of the wars of the state, their sole purpose being so many carcases--whilst, for the courts of law, the magpie would have been the very bird of legal justice and legal wisdom.
Three months later, when the sparrows were breeding and spending their nights at home, I revisited the spot, and going to the pit with the elder tree growing in it had a fresh look at the old magpie nest.
The magpie is extremely common in these parts although there are no trees for them to breed in.
If you chance to hear a bird note or phrase that is new to you in this place you may be sure the magpie is its author.
