New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-10-17
The Magple..

We might say of the magpie that nature NJ onlv
bestowed $50 much loqnacity, in order to make
amends for the taciturnity and gravity that asti-
guishes so many members Of III family or :
graceful form and beautiful plumage III Is untirn0
in the display Of its attractions and " 81 i commcn
in the most popuous and cultivated distzicts It i
| familiarly known and universally admired
Attracting attention from its peculiar chatSeyiu~
note. the Greeks with conscious irony repfesenfed
certain talkative ladies changed into maapies Z
transformation which they believed would sum
and other habits peculiar to its lost sex. Thu vocal
uproar time has made no improvement in, as We
see to-day,
From bough to bouxh the restless nnagpie roves
with the same unmusical note that centuries ago
induced Dante to name them
''Wretched birds Of chaterng noter
OF an exceedingly restless disposition, Va seldom
observe the magple stationary for amy length Of
perching the roadside, and hopping il ~ pecu-
liar manner along the ground. Although one OF
our most common birds, it il exceedingly aiffcult
to approach within Shot and at III times conducts
itself with such caution as i aware Of is personal
attractions, and, like other good people III the
world, the value Of preserving them.
Not content with its own assured safety, Il
watches over that OF other birds. To the owl
whom it surprises at MONDAY, q most determined
exposure is offered and even to the fox Or cat
stealing along with the very perfection Of care at
the bottom of the ditch, the maggie becomes per-
ASSeiJ SsstcA AA5 1to SauAts, ~ WILL UOG
stop until attention is called to them or by it's
continued outcries, forces them to leave their
cover. To-day perched upon the old beech treys
over the farmhouse, it looks after the farmer when
passing him, and honors him with chatter OF
recognition: tomorrow the master goes to shoot
and away flies mag chattering q bulletin Of eau
ton to the neighborhood. Admirable III i'll calcu-
lations, it waits until the farmer has just gained the
range of woodquests who are luxurating so freely
upon his wheat, when raising his alarm the plum
derers escape by the vigilance Of their friend the
pie. The gamekeeper cares not for the excuse Of
their being ''yermn,' noted thieves, and of very
exceptional character, but he remembers the loss
OF many good opportunity by the violence Of
the magpie, and endeayors on every occasion to
add trophy to the many others nailed against the
out house door.
As the food of the magpie consists Of lafye and
insects, it commits no injury upon the farmer who
only disagrees with it for abstractng some sickly
chicken, or being over-watchful of the ducks eggs
laid about the farmyard. OF both these charges
the magpe is guilty but as they are circumstances
which rarely happen, they should not prejudice his
character. To such perfection does it carry the
hardihood of rogury that it constructs It's nest and
rears its brood near to the farmyard possible,
and fears not the slightest danger Of being moest
ed for, with infinite caution, he changes the scene
Of his thefts to some other farmyard situated at
distance from home
In the park attached to the College situated in
the centre of our metropolis, the magpie yearly
rears its brood.