COMMON WOODCOCK. 389 



patches. Some entirely white individuals are also recorded. 

 They also vary much in size. 



Habits. — Several excellent accounts of the habits of the 

 Woodcock have been given by British writers, especially by 

 Mr. Selby, Mr. Yarrell, and Mr. Thompson. This celebrated 

 bird arrives on our eastern coasts, often in very great 

 numbers, in the end of September and the beginning of 

 October. It has been met with at that season along the 

 whole extent of coast from Caithness to the Land's End. 

 Although, in correspondence with a fancied course of mi- 

 gration", it has been stated that Woodcocks are more abun- 

 dant in the south of England and Ireland, and generally 

 arrive at an earlier period in the southern than in the 

 northern parts of England, it does not appear, from recorded 

 facts, that this is the case. In Shetland, although they 

 arrive sometimes as early as anywhere else, they seldom 

 remain long, these islands being not well adapted to their 

 habits, but are supposed to proceed southward. In Orkney 

 they are said, in mild winters, to remain until the period of 

 their spring migration. In Lewis and Harris they appear 

 early in October, sometimes not till near the end of that 

 month, and continue there all the winter, although there is 

 no wood in these islands. One could hardly suspect their 

 presence there in any considerable numbers, as they are 

 seldom met with ; but one very severe winter, when the 

 snow lay many weeks on the ground, and vast numbers of 

 Rock Pigeons, Thrushes, and other birds were to be seen 

 lying dead, the frozen brooks presented surprising quantities 

 of Woodcocks that had perished from want of food. All 

 along the east coast of Scotland they alight at the season of 

 the autumnal migration, generally pass a few days not far 

 from the shore, and then proceed inward. In winter and 

 early spring scarcely any are to be found there, they having 

 retired into the interior, where they are most plentiful in the 

 wooded tracts in the hilly districts. As they have never 

 been seen arriving on our coasts, nor setting out from them 

 on their northward migration, it is concluded that they 

 travel by night. Mr. Selby, however, says : — " A respect- 



