278 



THE OOLOGIST. 



The Oologist. 



A Monthly Magazine Devoted to 



OOLOGY AND ORNITHOLOGY. 



F. H. LATTIN, & CO., Publishers. 

 ALBION, N. Y. 



I'RANK H. LATTIN, WALTER F. WEBB, 

 Editors. 



Correspondence and items of Interest to the 

 student of Bn-ds, their Nests and Eggs, solicited 

 trom all. 



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The American Woodoock. 



Mr. Black's note regarding the Amer- 

 ican Woodcock reminded me that I 

 have had quite an extended acquain- 

 tance with this peculiar and precocious 

 bird, and as he (Mr. Black) requests 

 further remarks on the subject 1 am 

 pleased to submit the following notes: 



Although I have not had as much 

 time as I should like to study the birds 



I have had the good fortune to fall in 

 with quite a number of Woodcocks and ' 

 my notebooks contain quite an amount i 

 of interesting matter regarding them. -j 

 The Woodcock on account of its re- • 

 tiring habits is rather a hard l)ir(l to ^ 

 stud3' and therefore some of its most •■ 

 interesting and peculiar habits seem to 

 have escaped the observations of nat- 

 uralists. 



In the western states (so far as I have 

 observed) their feeding grounds are, as 

 a rule, in the low wet bottom lands 

 where there is a thick growth of coarse 

 grass and low bushes thus rendering it 

 almost impossible to see the birds when 

 they are on the ground. 



In the east, especially' in the hilly 

 parts, I have seen them feeding in 

 comparitively open roads where I had 

 very little trouble in seeing and watch- 

 ing them. 



Earlj- in April the Woodcocks arrive 

 in the sheltered valleys of southern 

 Ohio and soon scatter and pair to spend 

 the breediug seasou. 



The male bird has a habit of Hying 

 spirally up into the air, sometimes 

 higher than the tree tops and while 

 balancing in the air he utters a low 

 droning and not unmusical sound, 

 which can be heard at quite a distance. 

 This is a call to his mate and when he 

 alights upon the ground the female 

 bird is sure to be near at hand to re- 

 ceive his caresses. 



The birds often play in a very droll 

 manner, running round and round 

 each other in a small circle, their 

 feathers ruffled, their wings lifted and 

 their long bills pointing nearly directly 

 upward with their heads resting on 

 their backs. 



Sometimes they will hop on one foot 

 holding the other at a queer angle, as 

 if it had been broken or hurt. The 

 male bird titters a low indescribable 

 sound during all the playing and the 

 sight of these queer antics is worth 

 more than to have seen Modjeska or 

 Barrett in their celebrated plays. 



