WOODCOCK. 321 



county in England, as well as in many of those of Scotland 

 and Ireland, and also more frequently of late years than 

 formerly, yet the great bulk of the species must be under- 

 stood as only winter visitors, arriving early in October, or 

 soon afterwards, and again departing northwards in March. 

 The late Mr. Selby, one of our best observers, residing in 

 the eastern part of Northumberland, and only four or five 

 miles from the sea, says, *' I have found that these birds 

 always come over in the greatest bodies in hazy weather, 

 with little wind, and that blowing from the north-east ;* 

 and it is probable that they then find the upper region of the 

 atmosphere, in which they fly, freer from counter currents 

 of air, than in more open weather. After a night of this 

 description I have frequently met with great numbers upon 

 the edges of plantations, in hedges, and even in turnip-fields, 

 and enjoyed excellent sport for the day ; but on seeking, on 

 the following morning, for a renewal of similar success, I 

 have not found a single bird, the whole flight having pro- 

 ceeded on their course during the intervening night. It is 

 during this time that Woodcocks, like most migratory birds, 

 perform their journeys : and it seems probable that those 

 which halt upon the eastern coast of Scotland, and the 

 northern counties of England, have completed their task 

 from shore to shore, between sunset and sunrise, as they 

 appear but little fatigued on their arrival, provided the 

 weather has been calm. The distance of the coasts of 

 Norway and Sweden, from whence these visitors are sup- 

 posed to come, offers no objection to this supposition, as a 

 continued flight of eight or ten hours, even at a rate inferior 

 to what I conceive they are capable of accomplishing, would 

 suffice for the transit. Another argument in favour of this 

 supposition is, the high state of condition in which the 

 birds generally arrive on our shores, especially at an ad- 



* Mr. N. F. Hele (Notes about Aldeburgh, p. 122) says of that part of Suifolk, 

 that Woodcocks always appear with a north-west wind, and under no other cir- 

 cumstances ; also that their flight is directly against the wind. But it by no 

 means follows that the direction of the wind with which the birds drop on the 

 land is the same as that prevailing at a greater elevation, and this should be 

 taken into consideration in estimating all records of the arrival of migrants. 

 VOL. III. T T 



