EUROPEAN WOODCOCK 57 



one day in the month of June, in a thick coppice cover in Argyllshire, and flew 

 with her strange burden carried between her thighs for about 30 yards, in the 

 manner well described in a note in Mr. Gray's Birds of the West of Scotland. 

 On following her she again rose, still carrying the young one, and flew into some 

 thick cover. On this and the next occasion, which was in Perthshire, the 

 birds uttered no cry; but the last time I witnessed this curious habit, which 

 was on the 5th of May last, the bird made the peculiar cry alluded to in the 

 note in Mr. Gray's work. On this occasion I could observe the bird more 

 distinctly, as it was in an old oak cover, with very little underwood, where I 

 discovered her. On rising she flew from 35 to 40 yards, calling as above men- 

 tioned, and then, alighting among some grass, seemed to flutter along, still 

 retaining hold of the chick. On raising her again, the same maneuver was 

 repeated, only that the distance flown each time was greater, but always in 

 the segment of a circle, as if she were unwilling to leave the rest of the brood. 

 On returning to the spot where she rose at first, I discovered one of these, 

 which was more than half grown, the quill feathers being well formed, and 

 must altogether have formed rather a heavy burden. On taking it up, it 

 uttered a cry, which was at once responded to by the parent bird, although 

 the latter did not again take to wing from the bushes into which it had 

 ultimately flown. 



Abel Chapman (1924) writes: 



For many years a question used to be discussed as to woodcocks carrying 

 their young; but the matter never specially interested me, until, on August 3, 

 1915, I happened to see it with my own eyes. This was in Houxty wood, and 

 since then I have witnessed the performance on many occasions. During the 

 war this wood was largely felled for military purposes and the area thus 

 cleared, and subsequently replanted, has become a specially favored resort 

 of our long-billed friends. The annexed sketch, made there on June 15, 1920, 

 shows exactly how the feat is accomplished. That particular woodcock rose 

 on the hillside a trifle above me, slowly flapping by close in front, and looking 

 back at me over her shoulder. What first struck my attention was the curiously 

 depressed tail, held almost vertical; then the mother's feet, hanging down 

 below; finally the youngster, with its very short beak, pressed between its 

 parent's thighs. Since then I have witnessed many similar exhibitions ; indeed, 

 in summer they are almost daily on view. 



Plumages. — The downy young of the European woodcock is thus 

 described in Witherby's (1920) Handbook: 



Forehead and broad band over eye to nape light ochraceous buff, a russet 

 median streak from base of upper mandible to crown ; crown russet intermixed 

 with light ochraceous buff, centre of nape russet, sides light ochraceous buff; 

 an irregular and interrupted russet band from nape to uropygial tuft, another 

 across wing; rest of upper parts and sides of body with irregular bands and 

 patches of ochraceous buff and russet; from base of upper mandible to eye 

 a broad black-brown streak; a small patch of same behind eye; a patch of 

 russet on lower throat; rest of under parts light ochraceous buff. 



The juvenal plumage is therein fully described. It is much like 

 the adult, differing only in minor details, but can easily be recognized 

 by the looser or softer structure of the feathers. Practically all 

 of this plumage, except the primaries and secondaries, is replaced 

 in the fall by the first winter plumage, which is indistinguishable 



