Class II. WOODCOCK. 4?5 



was the fize of that of a pigeon. They are re- 

 markably tame during incubation; a perfon who 

 difcovered one on its neft, has often flood over, 

 and even ftroaked it: notwithstanding which it 

 hatched the young ; and in due time difappeared 

 with them. 



Thefe birds appear in Scotland firft on the eaft- 

 ern coafts, and make their progrefs from Eaft to 

 Weft. They do not arrive in Breadalbane, a cen- 

 tral part of the kingdom till. the beginning or mid- 

 dle of November : and the coafts of Nether Lorn 9 

 or of Rofffljire, till December or January : are very 

 rare in the more remote Hebrides, or in the Orknies. 

 A few ftragglers now and then arrive there. They 

 are equally fcarce in Cathnefs. I do not recollect 

 that any have been difcovered to have bred m 

 North Britain. 



Their autumnal and vernal appearances on the 

 coaft of Suffolk have bzm moil accurately marked 

 by Sir John Cullum, Bar 1 , who favoured me with 

 the following curious account. 



From fome old and experienced fportfmen, who 

 live on the coafl, I collected the following particu- 

 lars. They come over fparingly in the firft Week 

 of October, the greater numbers not arriving til! 

 the months of November and December, and always 

 after fun-fet. It is the wind and not the moon that: 

 determines the time of their arrival : and it is pro- 

 bable that this fhould be the cafe, as they come hi- 

 ther in queft of food, which fails then in the 



Vol, II, G g places 



