22 JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



The Occurrence of Woodcock in Maine at 

 Abnormal Seasons. 



By Arthur H. Norton. 



A Woodcock was caught on Portland street, Portland, Maine, 

 December i8, 1907, by Mr. .Silas B. Adams. 



Mr. Adams saw the bird strike one of the poles by the curbing, 

 and jumping from a car caught it without difficulty. It was handled 

 with great care by its captor, and given every opportunity at the 

 rooms of the Natural History Society to regain sufficient strength to 

 be set at liberty, but it lived but a couple of days. Most of its tail 

 feathers were missing. After its death, bruises were found upon 

 the breast, but none upon the head. The limbs showed no previous 

 wounds. 



The last of the Woodcock usually leave Maine during the first 

 week of Noveml^er. There are, however, numerous records of the 

 occurrence of the bird at abnormal dates. During the fall of 1907 

 I was told of the shooting of one and the seeing of another at Scar- 

 boro, Maine, on Nov. 15th. On Nov. 23, 1900, Mr. Ralph Norton 

 shot two females in perfect health at Westbrook. Maine, and dupli- 

 cated the experience on the same date in 1901. 



Mr. Walter Rich has recorded the occurrence of the bird (near 

 Portland) on Nov. 25th and 30th, ' and what he calls an early occur- 

 rence on Feb. loth.* 



In 1882, Mr. N. C. Brown wrote. ".Stories are current of the 

 appearance of Woodcock in February. ■^ In 1883, Mr. Everett 

 Smith reported its occurrence in instances until December, and 

 recorded an instance of one having been picked up dead at Camden, 

 Maine, on Feb. 25, 1882, by Mr. James Wight." * 



^ Feathered Game of the Northeast, p. 127. 



■-• Ihid, p. 108. 



» Proc., Port Soc. N. H., II, p. 25. 



* Forest and .Stream, XX, No. 4, p. 66— Feh. ZZ, 1883. 



