126 EGYPTIAN BIRDS 



cannot be too often dwelt upon, as enthusiasts run 

 riot on this subject, and do damage to a good cause 

 by injudicious condemnation. The accompany- 

 ing illustration is a small example of what I 

 mean. All know that birds, like ourselves, have 

 eyes and ears, and one knows that the relative 

 positions thereof are as in ourselves — the ear lies 

 behind the eye. No book that I am aware of 

 has any intimation that any other order exists ; 



Fig. 7. 

 Head of Woodcock^ to shorn tJie position of tlis Ear, 



but one day, a winter or so ago, I shot a Wood- 

 cock, and for the purpose of making a minute 

 study of the bird examined it closely, when I 

 found that the ear was in front of the eye. I at 

 once consulted all my bird books, but found no 

 reference to this strange fact. I then examined 

 ten other birds, and though they varied individually, 

 not one but had the ear somewhat in front of the 

 eye. 



The woodcock's food is mainly obtained by 



