42 Tue WoopDcock. 
our British Isles is probably obtained at Ashford, Lord 
Ardilaun’s seat, on the shores of Lough Corrib, Co. Galway, 
Ireland. Over 100 couple in the day have been killed there in: 
1891, 1895, 1904. In 1895, when H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. 
with six other guns were shooting, 181 ’cock were got, which 
was 30 less than the “ record bag’’ established in 1904. As we 
have already said, the woodcock is a “chancey’’ bird to get— 
he is here to-day yet gone to-morrow; but the Emerald Isle 
always gets more than its share of these visitors as compared 
with the rest of Great Britain. Lord Claremont, shooting in Co. 
Cavan a century ago, killed to his own gun (a flintlock) in one 
day 102 woodcock, for a wager of 300 guineas. The west coast 
of Scotland at times holds plenty of ’cock, and Norfolk is 
probably the best county for ’cock in England. At Melton 
Constable (in that county) fifty couples have been killed in one 
day. As regards Europe, I am told that in Albania a sports- 
man might reasonably expect to get fifty couple in a day to his. 
own gun if (and on that if rests the whole question) he were 
lucky enough to be out when the ’cock were in. 
The “Irish Times,’’ publishing a few notes on “ Wood- 
cock,’’ apropos of the Prince of Wales’ shoot at Ashford in 
1905, said:—“ Owing to its erratic flight, the woodcock is re- 
garded as being one of the most difficult birds to kill on the 
wing, and rarely does the sportsman succeed in bringing down 
more than two ata time.’’ To get a right and left at ’cock is a 
sufficiently rare occurrence ; and it is probable that two at a shot 
flying has not been got more than five or six times. Sir Francis: 
Chantrey (the sculptor), shooting at Holkham in 1829, had the 
luck to shoot two woodcock with one shot, and Mr Coke (his 
host) thought the affair so wonderful that he arranged all the 
guns and beaters in line and ordered them to take off their caps. 
as Chantrey marched past. At Holkham, at the south end 
of the long library, now stands a sculpture of these two wood- 
cock by Chantrey’s own hand. Numerous epigrams have beem 
written on this event, and one of the neatest runs :— 
‘Two woodcock fall at his one shot, 
The joyous Chantrey smiled to see; 
Then pitying their untimely lot, 
He gave them immortality.’ 
