2 20 WOODCOCK. 



of Ross, States that a Grey Phalarope was brought to him, early in 

 October i88i, by a lad who had killed it by a sling, while it was 

 swimming on the River Wye, near Backney Bridge. The bird 

 appeared by no means shy, and was swimming near the bank when 

 killed. This specimen has been carefully preserved, and is in the 

 possession of Mr. Blake. The Rev. D. Arthur F. Saunders of Sutton 

 St. Nicholas, near Hereford, was so fortunate as to meet with the 

 Grey Phalarope, in his own parish. The bird had been noticed 

 on two occasions, swimming in some deep pools in the River Lugg — 

 and on the 9th October, 1885, Mr. Saunders shot the bird from 

 the bank of one of the Lugg meadows, as it was swimming on the 

 river. He had the bird, which was a female in good plumage, 

 carefully preserved, and it is now in his possession. 



Genus— SCOLOPAX. 

 SCOLOPAX RUSTICULA— Woodcock. 



As Woodcocks when their plumes are grown, 

 Borne on the winds' wing, and their own, 

 Forsake the countries where they're hatched, 

 And seek out others to be calched. 



BuTLEB.— Imitation of the French. 



The arrival of the first flight of Woodcocks is always an era in 

 the sportsman's year. There is an old Herefordshire saying that, " if 

 the full moon in October falls between the loth and 25th days of 

 the month, then if the wind and weather are favourable, Cocks will 

 be plentiful, but if otherwise as to the moon, the Cocks go else- 

 where." Their abundance or scarcity really depends very much 

 on the severity of the weather in the north of Europe, for if the 

 weather should be stormy, and the wind unfavourable, very many 

 will perish in the sea. 



The first flights to arrive are the females, and it is often many 

 days before the males appear. They generally come in hazy weather, 

 with a wind blowing from the North East. Their numbers vary 



