■nil-. A\()nl)('0( K. 513 



ill iNoll IiuiuIhi laiiil, ill llii lii'i^iiiiiiii^' (if (he hciisnii, is \r\-\ iincciliiin, nnd Id riiNiii'c 

 sucoess, iiU"liliiiii iini^l I"' |i.iicl In llii' nIiiIc ipI' llic wimIIht ;iiiiI llir dirrclidii of llic wind. 



'I'licsc l)inlN l;iiid on cur sIhuts in llic iij^^lii, or jn dai'k niisly wciirlJici', I'm' tJicy iiro 

 ncMT M'cii (<i ,ini\i\ hill .■III' IVcijiU'iil iv (liKcovircd next. iiHirnin;^- in :iiiy dit-cli 

 wliiidi iilldids llii'iii idiidlrr :i\'\<r llic cxI riuirdiniirv I'ulijjjiK^ occiisiiincd li\ IIm' advui'so 

 Ionics wliiidi tlicy "lltMi I'lU'oiiiilcr in llirir iii'i'iid voyiij.;'('. 'I'licy do liol. i-ciiuiin near (li(( 

 sliorcs li)iii;cr lliiiii ii diiy, wlnii liicy air siilliiii'iilly rcci'iiilcd to ](ro('i'cd inland, iiiid llicy 

 \ i.sil, liii' saiiii liaiiuls w liii'li |Im\ lid'l in llir [irc'(^odin^' sriison. In l('iii|ii'ral(: wcallicr 

 tlu'v i'(^lin' Id niii.ssy iiiocir.s, and lii;;li, hicalv niDiiMlainoii.s |iarls ; liiil. a.s snoii iw llic IViisI: 

 Hcl.s ill ami (lie siKiws l)Cfi;iii Id I'all, (iii'y week lower and, warmer Hil.ual ioiiH, willi lioj^-j^'y 

 i^'i'Diiiids and .s|iiint;s, and lillje oo/.iii;;- nio.s.sy rills wliirli are rarely Iro/eii, wlierelliey 

 siieher ill close liiislics of liolly ami I'lir/e, ami llie lirakes ol' woody ;^lciis, or in dellw 

 wliicli are covered willi nnderwood. Here llicy rcinaiii concciilcd during' (lie diiy, uild 

 rcinoxc lo diU'erciil liannls, I'ccdin;^- onl\ in llie ni^lil. 



Kcsidiiij;' in (liccasLerii ]iar(, of Noi( liiiiiiherland, and onl\' lour or live miles I'l'oiM (,lio 

 sou, J\lr. Sclhy also says, " I liavc I'oiiml (lia(, (licse liirds always conic ovei- in (Jie e-rcidx^st, 

 liodics in hazy wcallicr, willi lillle wind, aial llial lilowiiej; lioiii llii' imrl li-ea,>l ; and i(, in 

 jirolialile (liai (liey (hen lind (lie ii|i|ier i'c;^i<]n of I he al iiios|)licrc, in wdii(di llu^y lly, I'recM' 

 (Voiii ciHiidci' ciiiTcids of air lliaii in iikjii' open wcallicr. A ('(cr a ni;;'li( of (liis dcserli)- 

 (ioii, 1 li.ixc ('ri'(|iicni ly iiie( willi 1411 a, I inindiei;; n|ioii I lie cdu'es ol' |ilaiilal ions, in hedges, 

 a IK I c\cii in I uriii|) liclds, and cii)o\cd cxccllcnl. s|iorl for (lii^ 'l-i}' j ''id on seek i 11 j^', on tlio 

 I'ollow in.;' inorniii;;, lor a renewal of similar success, I liayc iiol, Coiiiid a Hili;^'le hird, (lio 

 whole llii^hl liayini;' |iroeceded on Ihcir course diirinn' llie iiilei\ cniiii^' iii;;lil. Il is 

 duriiic' lliis liiiie ihal woodciicks, like inosi inieaadiry hirds, |iciToriii llieir journeys; and 

 i(, seems |iroliahle llial (Jio.hc \ylii(di hall u|ion llie caslcrn coasl. ol' Scollaiid, and (I10 

 iiorl hern coiiiil ies of Kn^land, have coni|ilclcd llieir lask IVom shore (o shore liclwooii 

 suiisci, and sunrise, as llicy appear hnl lillle lUlif^'ucd on (.licir ari'ivid, provided ike 

 wcallicr lia.s been calm. 'I'lie diM(auee ol' I he coasts ol' Norway and Sweden, Trom wlieiico 

 those visiloi'U ure supposed (o come, oilers no olijcclioii (o (liis Nui)i)OHi(ion, iia 11 coiilinncd 

 flifflil. of cinlil or (-CI1 hours, even al. a rale inferior in wlial I eoiiceive they arc; capable of 

 aci'om|ilishin^', would sullicc i'oi' I he I raiisil . ;\iiol,lier ar;.^iiinenl 111 I'avoui' of this siijijiosi- 

 tioii IS, ihe hii^h slide of eondiliun 111 whuli lie birds i^cnerally arrive on our shores, 

 cs|)cciiilly al all advanced [leiiod of I hi' season, by no means iiidicalini;' llio wasliii"' cd'ects 

 of very loiif^'-coiil iiiued (>xci'l ions, ll, ajipcars llinf lliey lly al, a coiisiih-rablc alliludc, us 

 indeed mosi birds do when |ici I'oriniie.; Ihcir iiiii;'rat,()l'y inovcmcnls. A rcspecl.abl(> 

 pei'son who li\ed upon ihe coast, and who, liciie^' a keen pursuer of wild-l'owd, wus in the 

 jiubif of IVeipaiil inn- lh(.i HOii-Hlioi'e al, an I'arly hour in Ihe morninj^', assiiriHl me that ho 

 liad more than once not iced ihe arrival of a llii^hl of woodcocks eomiiii>' I'roiii Ihe north- 

 east just at dayilawn. Ili-i nolicc was (irsi, atl,i'a,ctcd by a peculiar sound in the air over 



his liead, that, upon al Iciulin;;' lo, he found proceeded I'r birds dosccndin<>' ill 11 diroc- 



(Lou almost perpendicular ; and which, upon .•ipproaeliiiif^- the shore, separated, and flew 

 lowai'ds the interior ; those ho pursiu'd iuid shot, and which proved, as he surmised by 

 (he view he had of them as they flow past liiin, to be woodeocks." 



Tlie author of "Wild Sports of tlio West" says: "Tho woodcock-sliootiiig in tho 

 \Vcst of Ireland is acknowledged to bo very superior ; and when the flight has been 

 large, and the season is sufliciontly severe to drive tho birds well to cover, there is not, to 

 a (piiek eye, more lieaiil ifiil sliooling in llii^ world. Some of the covers are cop.scs of 

 naliiral wood, Kilualeil in llic very cenlre ol' llic mounlains ; coiiscipiently, when the 

 snow falls, every woodenek for miles around dcserls Ihe hcilli, ami seeks Ihe ncaresl, 

 sliehcr. Then will the siioi'lsman be amply rcjiaid for his labour. {''roiii a copso of not 

 iiioi'i! lliau tliirly acies c.\(iu(, 1 have seen lil'( y coii|tl(^ id' woodcocks liushcd ; and as 



2 L 



