The Woodcock. 801 



says " the Woodcock usually begins to lay in April. The nest is- 

 placed on the ground, in a retired part of the woods, frequently 

 at the root of an old stump. It is formed of a few withered leaves 

 and stalks of grass laid with very little art. The female lays four, 

 sometimes five eggs, about an inch and a-half long, and an inch 

 or rather more in diameter, tapering suddenly to the small end. 

 These are of a dun clay color, thickly marked with spots of brown 

 particularly at the great end, and interspersed with others of a 

 very pale purple. The nest of the Woodcock has, in several ins- 

 tances that have come to my knowledge, been found with eggs in 

 February ; but its usual time of beginning to lay is early in April. 

 In July, August, and September, they are considered in good order 

 for shooting." 



The Woodcock is properly a nocturnal bird, feeding chiefly at 

 night, and seldom stirring about till after sunset. At such times, 

 as well as in the early part of the morning, particularly in spring, 

 he rises, by a kind of spiral course, to a considerable height in the 

 air, uttering at times a sudden quack, till, having gained his utmost 

 height, he hovers around in a wild, irregular manner, making a 

 sort of murmuring sound ; then descends with rapidity as he rose. 

 When uttering his common note on the ground, he seems to do it 

 with difiiculty, throwing his head towards the earth, and frequent- 

 ly jetting up his tail. These notes and manosuvres are most usual 

 in spring, and are the call of the male to his favorite female. 

 Their food consists of various larvse, and other aquatic worms, for 

 which during the evening, they are almost continually turning over 

 the leaves with their bill, or searching in the bogs. Their flesh 

 is reckoned delicious, and prized highly. They remain with us 

 till late in autumn, and, on the falling of the first snows, descend 

 from the ranges of the Alleghany to the lower parts of the country 

 in great numbers ; soon after which, viz., in November, they move 

 oft* to the south. 



This bird, in its general figure and manners, greatly resembles 

 the Woodcock of Europe, but is considerably less, and very dif- 

 ferently marked below, being an entirely distinct species. A few. 

 traits will clearly point out their differences. The lower parts of 

 the European AVoodcock are thickly barred with dusky waved 

 lines, on a yellowish white ground. The present species has those 

 parts of a bright ferruginous. The male of the American species 

 weighs from fi've to six ounces, the female eight ; the European 

 twelve. The European Woodcock makes its first appearance in 



