Magpie ( Pica pica 18" Tail 9")
(http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/4045/magpie.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/269/magpie.jpg/)
Magpie Herl
(http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/3088/dyedpheasanttailwa.gif) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/39/dyedpheasanttailwa.gif/)
Refers to strands of herl taken from the tail of a Magpie. A reasonable substitute for Magpie herl is cock pheasant centre tail fibre dyed dark green/ black .This may also be done with a waterproof marker. The term dubbing in reference to this material, means that a few turns of the herl are placed on the body as a rib. The pheasant herl is not as robust as the Magpie. Unfortunately, my cat got the last Magpie tail I had and I never bothered replacing it. I never used it much anyway. Merely for some historical spiders.
The magpie tail herl which is black with a brilliant iridescent metallic green sheen, was used a lot as a head, or as ribbing ( dubbing!) on many old spiders. Not many other feathers from this bird are used, although the wings and body provide a lot of very good black and iridescent blue hackles. The tail is black/iridescent green but the body and wings are black /iridescent blue!
(http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/5647/mpw2.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/194/mpw2.jpg/)
(http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/2708/mpw3.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/706/mpw3.jpg/)