50 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



till poked up by a spaniel, when it rose and flew 

 back over the heads of the advancing beaters without 

 giving a shot to the shooters who accompanied them. 

 On another occasion, in Epirus, I saw a Woodcock 

 go through a precisely similar performance, but in 

 this case the Cock was pursued by a Sparrow-hawk, 

 who would have caught him if it had not been for 

 the sight of me. I need not say that I left this 

 Woodcock in peace in his leafy couch. 



Woodcocks are easily kept in confinement and 

 consume enormous numbers of earthworms. They 

 can be "trained off" on bread soaked in milk and 

 chopped bullock's liver, and occasionally become 

 very tame. 



To give some idea of the great difference in weight 

 that occurs amongst Woodcocks, I may mention 

 that of thirteen sent to me in one winter from North- 

 amptonshire, Lancashire, Kent, and Pembrokeshire, 

 the heaviest weighed full 14 j oz., the lightest barely 

 10 J oz. ; all were in good condition of flesh and 

 feather. From twelve to thirteen ounces 1 take to 

 be a fair average weight for these birds ; the heaviest 

 that I ever weighed pulled down nearly 1 6-|^ oz., and 

 far heavier weights than this are on record. 



145. GREAT SNIPE. 



Scolopax major. 



The Great, or, as it is perhaps more generally 

 called, the Solitary Snipe is by no means abundant 

 in any part of our Islands at any season of the year, 

 and in this county is decidedly a rare bird. I have 

 received many notices of the occurrence of (so-called) 



