®1|0 Journal 

 Mmm (intitl|0logtral ^nri^ty 



Published by the Society on the first of March, June, September and December 



Vol. XII JUNE, 1910 No. 2 



Some Notes on the Woodcock's Spring Song. 



By Walter H. Rich. 



In May of last year I had the opportunity of watching a Wood- 

 cock's antics in the dusk, and of hearing its song. Tt was in my 

 "training ground", where I had on the sixth of that month just hb- 

 erated twelve "Hungarian Partridges" { Pcrdix cinerca) . 



As we walked along in the dusk, after a search for the 

 Partridges, my companion called my attention to a bird note which 

 was new to him. I listened a moment and then said, "The first 

 Night Hawk, I think." An instant later I doubted, and at once 

 my doubt was confirmed when there sounded again the nasal 

 ^'p-a-a-nck! p-a-a-nck!''' of a Woodcock. Soon we heard him whis- 

 tle somewhere on wing and presently he appeared flj'ing about, 

 high up under a particularl}^ bright star, where he sang and trilled 

 and twittered. I do not remember having ever before heard a 

 Woodcock make so much, so varied and so good music. It was a 

 veritable song, and many a so-called song-bird does not possess 

 such a repertoire as did he. 



