THE AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 



497 



of the upper mandible is capable of a certain amount of independent action, 

 l.'ke the distal joint of one's finger when the rest is held firmly, so that the 

 bird is never at a loss to seize its wriggling prey. The eyes are set well 

 back in the head, partly to avoid too close approach to the ground, and 

 partly to command the bird's surroundings while it is probing for food. 



As the season advances and the ground is dried out, the Woodcock re- 

 sorts to the banks of ditches and sluggish streams, or retires to higher ground. 

 Here, especially in hillside woods, it industriously turns over the fallen leaves 

 and rubbish in search of insect prey concealed beneath. It is in the fall 

 of the year, therefore, that its range is more accessible to the gunner; altho 

 its precise whereabouts may be less certain at that season. 



When surprised, the Woodcock rises perpendicularly to the tops of 

 surrounding bushes, then makes off at an angle with a rather weak, unsteady 

 flight, only to drop quickly to cover and run rapidly along the ground and 

 out of sight. The opportune moment for the gunner is just that fraction 

 of a second when the bird pauses at the top of the perpendicular and decides 

 (if indeed decision be involved in that whimsical angle) which way to go. 

 For my part, I consider it quite as fair and a good deal more ingenious, 

 to catch the bird sneaking on the ground. I see my sporting friends lifting 

 up hands of holy horror. But try it! It isn't easy; and there is no mis- 

 chance connected with the experiment as there would be in the case of 

 Quail. Sharp eyes are as good as quick hands any time ; and the bird 

 really has about three chances on the ground to one in the air. 



Woodcocks nest early in March or April, and frequently raise two 

 broods in a season. The courting evolutions of the male have been vari- 

 ously described, but are as yet imperfectly understood. The only flight song 

 which I ever witnessed occurred about five o'clock one afternoon in the 

 middle of April. A few large hickory and oak trees stood in an otherwise 

 open field half covered with water, and afforded a base of operations. About 

 this grove a male Woodcock circled and charged at various heights, now 

 mounting rapidly upward, now crossing in plain sight in a curious zigzag 

 course, now sweeping downward as tho bent on dashing out his brains at the 

 feet of his enamorata. The most singular feature of the performance was the 

 series of weird hooting notes, to which the bird gave vent in describing his 

 parabolic downward curves. I am fairly confident that the sounds were vocal, 

 and not produced by the rush of air against the primaries, as some have sur- 

 mised. Hooh. hooli hook, hooh, hook, ho oh, hooh, as rendered by this frantic 

 lover were a sound to court the dead with, but the language of love is various, 

 and why should the uninvited listener cavil ? Twice this mad Romeo paused 

 in his flight, and attempted to alight in the top of a tall dead tree, but 

 neither time did he succeed in finding footing to his satisfaction; so he passed 

 on before I could get a snap-shot of him. 



