126 FEATHERED GAME 



ing the nesting season, when few gunners are 

 in the covers and so are less likely to see this 

 strange sight. Within a week I have been in- 

 formed of two well authenticated instances of 

 this fact, though probably it was the same bird 

 in each case as the two happened within a few 

 yards of each other and a nest is near by. 



With us in New England these seem to be 

 two great flights of Woodcocks in the fall, the 

 opening of the season finding here only those 

 birds which have bred in our borders. These 

 we carefully gather, in order to make room for 

 later arrivals, which are due about October 

 tenth to twentieth, — the first flight. The sec- 

 ond excursion comes about the time the first 

 cold storm of the fall strikes. These later 

 birds are from the extreme northern breeding 

 range of the family and usually average larger 

 in size and of lighter color than the local birds. 

 Our russet brown beauty of September is much 

 ruddier in shade than are these November visi- 

 tors. It seems the rule among most migrant 

 birds that those breeding in the northern 

 ranges average larger in size and less brilliant 

 in color. This statement as to comparative 

 size does not apply to the '^ Labrador twisters'^ 



