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~V 







THE AVOOUCOCK.* 



The Woodcock is u ualive of the northern provinces of continental Europe, but 

 instances are known of its remaining in England to breed, thus passing the summer with 

 ns. It is, however, strictly speaking, a winter visitor to our shores. " Tlie first autumnal 

 flight of the woodcock," says Selby, "on its retreat from the northern countries of 

 Europe, where it breeds and passes the summer, generally takes place towards the end of 

 September, or the beginning of October ; but as this consists of birds \\hosc flight is 

 directed to more southern latitudes than our islands, a few stragglers only remain ; as 

 the flight, after resting for a day or two, proceeds on its course to Portugal, and so 

 onwards to the furthest limit of its equatorial movement. The direction taken by such a 

 great and successive column of these birds, under migration from the north to the 

 southern parts of Europe and northern Africa, being in a great measure intersected by 

 the south-western coasts of England and Ireland, accounts for the abundance of them in 

 Devonshire and Cornwall, and the countries thus situated, and the still greater numbers 

 found in the southern and western districts of Ireland, compared with the other parts of 

 the kingdom. 



" It is thus, also, that woodcocks are generally first observed in these positions, and 

 sometimes long before they are seen in England or Scotland. The succeeding flights, 

 which continue at intervals during October and the two following months, becoming each 

 more limited in extent, the whole country gradually receives its accession of winter 

 visitants, those that take up their haunt in the northern counties of England and Scotland 

 seldom arriving before the middle of November, or the beginning of December ; the 

 earlier flights, when they do ulight in the country, merely remaining for a day, and then 

 passing on to the soutliward From this latter circumstance, the search for woodcocks 



Stoldjiiix liualic'olti. 



