WOODCOCK. 219 



Nests have been found during the last few years at 

 Whitewell in Bowland, at Balderstone on the Eibble, 

 and young birds only just able to fly have been seen the 

 end of May at Langho, at Sabden, and on the Yorkshire 

 side of the Hodder in Bashall Eaves. Woodcocks are 

 much less common now in winter than formerly, and 

 not many birds are caught in the ' springes ' which 

 Pennant describes ("Tour in Scotland," 1774, p. 32) 

 as being numerous in the northern parts of Lancashire, 

 and in which he says " multitudes are taken in this 

 manner in the open weather," the springes being " laid 

 between tufts of heath, with avenues of small stones on 

 each side, to direct these foolish birds into the snares, 

 for they will not hop over the pebbles." Woodcocks 

 mostly frequent the thick woods which clothe the lower 

 fells, but a continuance of hard weather will bring 

 them down to the open brooks in the neighbourhood 

 of the rivers. 



GENUS GALLINAGO. 



GEE AT SNIPE. 



Gallinago major (J. F. Gmelin). 



Of the Great Snipe IMontagu says (" Orn. Die," 180'2) 

 that it was first described as a British bird by Pennant 

 from a specimen shot in Lancashire, and preserved in 

 the museum of Sir Ashton Lever (Cf. "Brit. Zool.," 

 1776-77). Since then (the greater portion of the 

 examples killed being young birds of the year) it has 

 been regularly noticed all over the kingdom, but no- 

 where, probabl}^, more frequently than in the county 

 where it was first discovered, for I lind over twenty 



