28o CATALOGUE OF BIRDS 



CASE 62. 



THE WOODCOCK, SNIPE, AND JACK 

 SNIPE. 



Order, Limicolcs. Family, Ckaradriid<2. 



The Woodcock. 



This, to me, is a very interesting species indeed ; 

 and, taken in conjunction with the Snipe, probably 

 affords more fascination to the man who is unable to 

 pay a fancy price for sport than any other sort of 

 shooting. 



We generally consider the Woodcock to be due 

 towards the end of October ; the prevailing wind 

 at the time and the age of the moon having some- 

 thing to do with its arrival rather earlier or later 

 than that date. 



Most of the birds that visit us, I think, come 

 from the direction of Norway and Sweden, and hit 

 off the line of our east coast in their flights of 

 countless numbers. Many instances are recorded 

 of these birds flying against our lighthouses on dark 

 stormy nights, and killing themselves against the 

 glass. The record of lighthouse keepers on our 

 east coast in regard to the numbers of birds that get 

 destroyed in this way would be most interesting. 



Woodcock, after arriving on our east coast, 

 appear to wend their way along the south coast, 

 passing over to Ireland, via Lundy Island, in the 

 British Channel, and then to distribute themselves 

 all over that country. 



