Marking of Woodcock in Northumberland 253 



and July, 1909, being both recaught in the same fruit-net 

 on August 8 in the following year, 1910. 



In the North of England, however, in which part the 

 increase of woodcock has been most noticeable of recent 

 years, there has been some excellent 'cock-shooting of 

 late, and we feel sure that those of our readers who are 

 interested in the keeping of records will be glad to have 

 the report just to hand concerning the season's sport 

 with the " bird of birds " on the estate of the Duke of 

 Northumberland at Alnwick Castle. So far as woodcock 

 are concerned, the past season has indeed been a remark- 

 able one, for the total bag on the Duke's estate exceeds 

 by no fewer than 57 birds the best bag of previous years. 

 Up to the end of Ja mary, when the shooting season was 

 concluded 243 woodcock had been killed at Alnwick, 

 the best days of the season being as follows : — Decem- 

 ber 2 (four guns, covert-shooting), 13 'cock; December 

 6 (two guns), 20 ; December 7 (two guns), 53 ; December 

 17 (four guns, covert-shooting), 11 ; January 24 (one gun), 

 31 ; January 28 (two guns), 19. The best day's bag — 53 

 woodcock to a couple of guns — is also a record, though it 

 only exceeds by a single bird the number obtained by 

 a similar number of guns on December 17, 1908. In 

 that season, which was the next best to the one just 

 concluded, 176 woodcock were bagged. Prior to that 

 the season's bags of over one hundred woodcock were 

 as follow : — 1890-1, 116 'cock ; 1898-9 126 ; 1903-4, 109 ; 

 1905-6, 130 ; 1906-7, 155 ; and 1909-10, 124. 



