302 The Woodcock, 



Britain in October and November, that country being in fact only 

 its winter quarters ; for, early in March, they move off to the 

 northern parts of the continent to breed. The American species, 

 on the contrary, winters in countries south of the United States, 

 arrives here early in March, extends its migrations as far, at least, 

 as the River St. Lawrence, breeds in all the intermediate places, 

 and retires again to the south on the approach of winter. The 

 one migrates from the torrid to the temperate regions, the other, 

 from the temperate to the Arctic. The two birds, therefore, 

 notwithstanding their names are the same, dififer not only in size 

 and markings, but also in native climate. Hence the absurdity 

 of those who would persuade us that the Woodcock of America 

 crosses the Atlantic to Europe, and vice versa. These observations 

 have been thought necessary, from the respectability of some of 

 our own writers, who seem to have adopted this opinion. 



How far to the north our Woodcock is found, I am unable to 

 say. It is not mentioned as a bird of Hudson's Bay, and, being 

 altogether unknown in the northern parts of Europe, it is very 

 probable that its migrations do not extend to a very high latitude, 

 for it may be laid down as a general rule that those birds which 

 migrate to the Arctic regions, in either continent, are very often 

 common to both. The head of the Woodcock is of sino^ular con- 

 formation, large, somewhat triangular, and the eye fixed at a re- 

 markable distance from the bill, and hio-h in the head. This 

 construction was necessary to give a greater range of vision, and 

 to secure the eye from injury, while the owner is searching in the 

 mire. The flight of the Woodcock is slow. When flushed at any 

 time in the woods, he rises to the height of the bushes or under- 

 wood, and almost instantly droj:)S behind them again at a short 

 distance, generally running off for several yards as soon as he 

 touches the ground. The notion that there are two species of 

 Woodcock in this country probably originated from the great 

 difference of size between the male and female, the latter being 

 considerably the larger. 



The male Woodcock is ten inches and a-half long, and sixteen 

 inches in extent ; bill, a brownish flesh color, black towards the 

 tip, the upper mandible ending in a slight knob, that projects 

 about one tenth of an inch beyond the lower, each grooved, and, in 

 length, somewhat more than two inches and a-half ; forehead, line 

 over the eye, and whole lower parts, reddish tawny ; sides of the 

 neck, inclining to ash ; between the eye and bill, a light streak of 



