406 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS 
lies with his head dropped on his shoulders, and on rising 
makes one or two sharp whistles with his wings. It often hap- 
pens, however, especially if the bird goes on to dry ground or 
into long grass, or if he drops, as he often does, like a stone, 
without running, that the best dog cannot find him by scent. 
Many and many a time in summer the bird may be marked 
down accurately, and may be found only by actually kicking 
him up. A little study shows this to be quite accidental, de- 
pending upon the condition of the ground, upon the kind of 
cover, and upon whether the bird runs or not. It is a fact 
which has some bearing on the vexed question whether or not 
the Quail voluntarily withhold their scent. 
The structure of Woodcock’s eyes is very peculiar, being 
adapted to their habits of moving and feeding at night} and 
the birds not unfrequently run against telegraph-wires in the 
day-time, and are thus killed. Our species differs radically from 
the European. The general appearance and markings of the 
latter are wholly different, especially in his being waved beneath. 
He is a third larger, two-thirds less luscious, much more indo- 
lent, and wholly silent on the wing. He may be described 
generally as a cross between a curlew and an owl. Our Wood- 
cock is not a warbler, and does not alight on trees, the asser- 
tions of our farmers to the contrary notwithstanding. 
(d). His notes are few and unmusical. In spring, at the 
time of his antics in the air, he utters a series of peculiar, and 
rather harsh but not very loud notes. Wilson speaks of his 
‘sudden quack,” and says that ‘“‘ when uttering his common 
note on the ground, he seems to do it with difficulty, throwing 
his head towards the earth and frequently jetting up his tail.” 
The young have a feeble “ peep.” 
II. GALLINAGO 
(A) witsont. (American) Snipe. Wilson’s Snipe. 
(A common migrant through Massachusetts.) 
(a). Average length, ten inches. Bill essentially like that 
of the Woodcock, and about as long. Head much less stout, 
and tail longer, than the corresponding parts of that bird. 
