Internet photo and factoids:

Magpies might well be the smartest bird of them all. In fact, the most intelligent animal of the whole natural kingdom, next to us.

Its brain is relatively the same relative size as our own. And it is one of only a handful of creatures in the animal kingdom which has passed the mirror test - where it's put to sleep, it's body marked, and when it awakes it recognizes the new mark in a mirror. This is a basic test of higher intelligence, and only FIVE species in the animal kingdom have passed this test - even dogs fail it. Another sign of their intelligence is that they cut food for their chicks into correctly sized portions depending on their size, which explains the breeding success.

There are many different versions of the Magpie Rhyme; however, the original one was first recorded in 1780 by John Brandt in Observations On Popular Antiquities:

One for sorrow, Two for joy,

Three for a girl, Four for a boy,

Five for silver, Six for gold,

Seven for a story yet to be told.

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