THE WoopDcock. 43 
In the “ Field ’’ of January 16th, 1905, Mr Gilbert I. White 
wrote from East Devon to say that a few days previously he had 
killed two woodcock at one shot, and the editor of the “ Field ’’ 
in his remarks says:—“ Since Chantrey’s feat in 1829 the feat 
probably has not often been repeated.’? Mr L. M. de Visme 
Shaw, in the Fur and Feather Series, “ Snipe and Woodcock,”’ 
states, as far as he knows, the only other occurrence of this feat 
since Chantrey’s performance is “that of Colonel Sands, who 
killed his two ’cock with one shot on November 4th, 1853 ;”’ 
and it is quite possible that these are the only three occasions 
when two woodcock flying have been killed with one shot. 
The woodcock is always supposed to be a difficult bird to shoot, 
and certainly in a thick plantation the way he zig-zags behind 
the tree trunks is almost snipe-like. It has been suggested that 
his powers of vision by day are not good, and that this tortuous 
flight is due to his not seeing any obstacle till he is close to it, 
when he suddenly sheers off, and so continues on his way. In 
the open, his flight is very different and he flies far more directly. 
But, as in the case of all other game-birds, the reason why he is 
so often missed, probably lies in the fact that not enough allow- 
ance is made for his speed; for, though he may rise sluggishly, 
he is a very fast flyer when fairly on the wing. The long shots 
one sees fired at woodcock are to be regretted. Some sports- 
men would seem to consider that a woodcock is never out of 
range, and that one stray pellet may bring it down at anything 
up to a hundred yards; and because the bird happens to be 
somewhat of a rarity, have no feelings at all about wounding it. 
A woodcock is as hard and wiry as any bird of its size, and it 
deserves as much fair play in the field as we should give to any 
other sporting bird. A hundred or more years ago, when the 
science of trapping and snaring was at is height, the woodcock 
came in for his fair share of attention; and we read in Shake- 
speare, Henry VI., part 3, act 1, scene 4, “So strives the wood- 
cock with the gin.’’ The method here referred to was first to 
ascertain where woodcock were feeding, then round this feeding 
ground to build a small hedge or turf wall, with several gaps in 
it. In these gaps were set snares, and the woodcock running 
round the wall till he found an entrance to his dining-room, 
paid the penalty. This mode of capture has not so very many 
years ago. fallen out of usage, and it would be interesting to 
