Evening star., 1901-02-21
MAKE INTERESTING PETS
STORIES OF MIsCHIEVoUs MAG
PIES AND THEIR WAYS.
Favorite Amusement Tweaking the
Cats Taii-fHOw Margot Finally
Met los waterloo.
From the Leisure Hour.

From the Leisure Hour e
MY magpies were called "Margot," be-
cause they were French magpies, and this
lne name usually given to them in
france in the captive state. They can
rarely however, be described with any ac-
curacy as captives, for birds of this family
tnat nave been brought up by hand can be
allowed complete liberty without any risk
Oh thelr going away, except in the mating
season, and even then they often resist
the temptation. They take a great pleas
ure In human society, and seem to realize
perfectly that life is easier and also more
amusing to them in a haif-domesticated
than IN an absolutely wild state. They are
oifos OF remarkable astuteness, with a
grasp OF philosophy not to be equaled in
attachment of the whole crow tribe
10 man, when they have been Cd
ucated by him, closely resembles
id ina Oh the dog, but it ) much
less alslnterested. 1t is by ne means un-
common in France for tame magples to
iolioW on the wing a peasant family to
their work in the fields far from home
ana TO return with them in the evening.
MY Hrst magpie never learned to talk. It
was lost In Consequence of a change of abode
oe1ofe II had taken up the study of human
speech. but 1t excelled all others 1 have
ever known by its mischievous and droll
the poultry with deadly hatred. II would
get oehind the cats when they were Sleep
ing, or Tor some other reason were off their
guard, and would either bring the sharp
point OF the heavy beak down upon the
pone or the unsuspecting tail, or would
seize 1t by the tip and give it a sharp
squeeze with the powerful mandibles. The
Vlcllm OF this unprovoked assault would
Immediately turn upon the aggressor with
claws ready for action, but quick and agile
as the cat was, the magpie was always
more So It's nimble legs took it out of
harrn way on the first symptom of dam
ger, and II legs were insufficient, wings
came to their assistance In a little while
the cats did all they could to avoid their
tormentor. There was one. however that
had kittens, and the magpie found them
out whenever they were left unprotected
the hendish Margot would flop down from
some watch tower and lay hold of their
tender tails with that terrible business
ilke beak The squeals that ensued soon
brought the mother cat to the rescue of
her offspring, but as soon as she left them
there was repetition of the comedy. A
hiding place had at last to be found for
the cat family where the kittens tails
were no longer misery to them.
Another Margot was a magpie of the
'landes" and pine forests. Fighting was
not its chief distraction, but it was ready
enough to take mean advantage Of a
cats tail when the owner incautiously al
lowed 1t to lie about 1t cultivated the
higher arts and soon became proficient in
talking, sneezing and coughing. There hap
pened to be an old lady living near who
had chronic cough, and Margot initiated
her so exactly that, without seeing. it
was impossible to distinguish the coughing
of one from that of the other. Its speech
was almost equally deceptive, and here 1t
may be observed thatiwhen a magpie talks
its voice is far more 9human than that of
a parrot. This ones habitual language
was French, but it used a few English
words. which, being mistaken for others.
irpa rath thnr III If a
to French ears In this way it caused |
scandal. There was a Dominican chapel |
hard by, the door of which was generally |
open. The bird would follow people to |
their devotions there and one day was ig- |
expelled for irreligious con-
duct. An old monk. thinking it belonged to |
a villa which had been recently let to a |
Russian went there to demonstrate, and |
French servant thus: "Vous aveZ un |
scelerat dams yotre maison' aluding to |
the magpie. "Mais non, mon pere," ex-
claimed the astonished domestic. "c'est un
-usse!''- OF course it was impossible, es-
pecially at that time, for Russian to be
4 scoundre. Margot's curiosity was re-
narkable and Unsuitable. One day the chill
lren brought back, with all necessary pre-
vas always showing its ever-varying colors
through the pine forest stretching down
% the beach. The magpie Immediately
;idled up to the new object lying in the
;pection. After hopping around it several
lines in diminishing circles 1t came to the
conclusion that thing remaining so quiet
must be harmless, and, opening its beak,
seized the skate-lke fish by the tail. The
nagpie had recently moulted all the feath-
,rs from it's neck but the few that re-
NAMED on the top Of the head now stood |
rect as the bird, with a shrek Of horror
md surprise, sprang into the air 1t drop
,ed only few feet away. and, with long.
,are neck STRETCHED out and wide-open
,eak and the feathers it still possessed all
N end, it continued to gaze and to Shrek
It the mysterious enemy. The bird had
evidently received an electric shock, the
ause of which was in conflict with all its
lotions of the natural, for the fish was
dead, and even If it had been
live the knowing Margot had been careful
O attack the end that could not bite. 1t
therefore, remained fascinated by the mys-
cry, but did not make second expert
nent How comic at times are the humors
# animals!