Handsome Birds
Because 15f their contrasting plumage, I think magpies are among the handsomest of birds at this time of year, for now they have a sheen on them that gives them the magnificent beauty one sees on a mallard drake when he is at his best. Cock pheasants have a burnished appear- ance of copper and gold, but magpies are subjects for oils and canvas. Perched on the top of a tree or bush, they are breath-taking. It is hard to think of them as being of the carrion breed, building a thorn crown to a nest in a hedge or holly-bush and a raising a brood of bright-eyed, cunning chicks that will join them in their mischief across the pasture. The gamekeeper does not waste much time study- ing the condition of their plumage while they are -still alive. He marks the nest, waits until he is sure they are all home, and puts a shot through the building.
Previous page
