Found 1 items, similar to Magpie lark.
English → English (gcide)
Definition: Magpie lark
Magpie
\Mag"pie\, n. [OE. & Prov. E. magot pie, maggoty pie, fr.
Mag, Maggot, equiv. to Margaret, and fr. F. Marquerite, and
common name of the magpie. Marguerite is fr. L. margarita
pearl, Gr. ?, prob. of Eastern origin. See
Pie magpie, and
cf. the analogous names
Tomtit, and
Jackdaw.] (Zo["o]l.)
Any one of numerous species of the genus
Pica and related
genera, allied to the jays, but having a long graduated tail.
[1913 Webster]
2. Any one of several black-and-white birds, such as
Gymnorhina tibicen, not belonging to the genus
Pica.
[PJC]
Note: The common European magpie (
Pica pica, or
Pica caudata
) is a black and white noisy and mischievous
bird. It can be taught to speak. The American magpie
(
Pica Hudsonica) is very similar. The yellow-belled
magpie (
Pica Nuttalli) inhabits California. The blue
magpie (
Cyanopolius Cooki) inhabits Spain. Other
allied species are found in Asia. The Tasmanian and
Australian magpies are crow shrikes, as the white
magpie (
Gymnorhina organicum), the black magpie
(
Strepera fuliginosa), and the Australian magpie
(
Cracticus picatus).
[1913 Webster]
3. A talkative person; a chatterbox.
[PJC]
Magpie lark (Zo["o]l.), a common Australian bird (
Grallina picata
), conspicuously marked with black and white; --
called also
little magpie.
Magpie moth (Zo["o]l.), a black and white European
geometrid moth (
Abraxas grossulariata); the harlequin
moth. Its larva feeds on currant and gooseberry bushes.
[1913 Webster]