134 PLOVER GROUP 



The woodcock is essentially a shy and skulking bird in the da\-- 

 time, and is often flushed onl)- with difficult}- ; when once on the wing 

 its flight is, however, strong and rapid, and the manner in which one 

 of these birds will make its way at best pace, to the cry of " cock ! 

 cock ! " from the beaters, between the closely set stems of a thick 

 covert, is little short of marvellous. On the other hand, woodcock 

 which have just arrived from a long journey, either by land or sea, 

 are frequently almost exhausted, and fly with a slow flapping flight, 

 utterly unlike their normal dashing course ; and the present writer 

 well recollects flushing a pair of these birds in the Himala)'a, when in 

 such a condition, without having the slightest suspicion that they were 

 woodcock, and, consequenth', never firing at them. On migration 

 woodcock fly at a great height, from which the\- drop suddenh' on 

 their selected halting- place ; and, in consequence of this, they escape 

 capture in the flight -nets set in many parts of the countr}' during 

 the season of migration. Although skulking in covert for most of the 

 da}', male woodcock are accustomed, and more especially during the 

 breeding-season, when the\- become quite bold, to dart up and down 

 the glades of the forest soon after dawn, and again at dusk, uttering 

 from time to time a peculiar kind of whistle. For concealment among 

 fallen leaves, and more especially those of the beech, the markings 

 and colouring of the woodcock are most perfectly adapted ; and he 

 must, indeed, be sharp -sighted who can detect one of these birds 

 when skulking on the ground, or sitting on its nest, unless, indeed, 

 it be betrayed by the glint of the full black eye. As a rule, the 

 woodcock is a solitary bird ; its feeding-time is at night, when, it 

 sallies forth from covert to visit the marshes outside, or the bogs 

 within the forest itself, there to search for worms, grubs, and insects, 

 by probing for them in the soft mud with its long and sensitive beak. 

 Indeed, an experienced field-naturalist or sportsman will often ascertain 

 the presence of "cock" in a district b}* the holes made by their beaks 

 in the mud of the swamps or other moist situations. In connection 

 with woodcock-shooting, which commences on August i and terminates, 

 except in Essex, on March i, it may be mentioned that many sporting 

 dogs will not retrieve these birds. That woodcock will at times carry 

 their young, apparently by pressing them with the beak and feet against 

 the breast, seems undoubted, but some hesitation ma}' be permitted 

 before definitely accepting the statement that they habitually transport 

 the chicks to and from the feeding-grounds. So rapid is the flight of 

 woodcock that one of these birds has been known to smash a pane of 

 plate-glass, while a second impaled itself on the vane of a church 



