Woodcock SHORE AND MARSH BIRDS. 



islands near the mainland for its breeding-haunts. He has 

 found its eggs at Muskeget with those of the last species. 

 The Piping Plover, as well as the Eing-neck, live upon 

 insects, worms, eggs of fish, small Crustacea, etc. 



FAMILY SCOLOPACID^: SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 

 American Woodcock : Philohela minor, 



Plate XI. Fig. 10. 



Length : 10-11 inches. Female an inch longer. 



Male : Eyes large, set in upper corner of head. Short, thick neck and 

 compact body. Above variegated with brown, black, tawny, and 

 gray. Below brown, ranging from buff to tawny. Legs very 

 short. Bill longer than head, straight and stout. 



Note : A peep and a whistle. " P't-ul ! P't-ul ! " and " peent, peent " 

 (Brewster.) 



Season : A summer resident ; March to December. 



Breeds : Through range in April and May. 



Nest : A hollow in the ground, lined with a few leaves. 



Eggs: 4 usually, varying from stone-gray to buff, with indefinite 

 brown markings and gray cloudings. 



Bange: Eastern United States, north to the British Provinces, west 

 to Dakota, Kansas, etc. 



The king of our Game-birds, to be distinguished from the 

 Snipe, which it resembles, by its heavier build, shorter legs, 

 and plain red-brown under parts. Though grouped with 

 Shore-birds, it is more frequently to be found in sheltered 

 bogs and in woods bordering swamps than by lakes or 

 rivers. 



The Woodcocks obtain the grubs and larvse on which they 

 feed by probing in the soft mud with the bill, which is so 

 extremely sensitive at the tip as to enable them to select 

 food wholly by the sense of touch. The eyes are set in the 

 head at a very peculiar angle, which gives the birds a rather 

 foolish appearance. This is a protective provision of Kature. 

 The eyes being situated high up and far back in both the 

 Snipe and Woodcock enables them, by increasing the field 

 of vision, to escape from many of their enemies, even though 

 they cannot see their food. 



236 



