WOODCOCK-SHOOTING. 8? 



In the months of October and November, hunt 

 your shooting-ground for woodcock often, if it be a 

 good one. Even the next day after you have cleaned 

 the game all out, you will probably make a fair bag. 

 For at this season these flight-birds are driven rapidly 

 to the southward by the frost ; and if the sportsman 

 be on the qui vive, he will be well paid for his trouble. 

 When the weather grows warm after several frosty 

 nights, they will often linger a few days, until another 

 frost starts them along toward their sunny home. 



The young sportsman must not expect to find 

 woodcock in flocks or in bevies, like quail. He will 

 seldom start more than one at a time, although there 

 may be many near him. They are quite unsocial 

 birds; and in their flight each one usually goes his 

 own way, and looks out for himself. 



The woodcock never alights upon trees, whatever 

 to the contrary we may hear from farmers' boys, who 

 talk of seeing him perched on dead trees in the woods. 

 They mistake the woodpecker for him. Neither does 

 he roost on bushes or fences, like many other birds. 

 He has nothing to do with the vegetable kingdom, 

 save to use it for a cover, and to make his frail nest 

 with. He sticks to mother earth ; and as she owes 

 him a living, he presents his bill to her very often. 

 His draft* are honored with the sweet nutriment of 

 worms and flies. He paddles along in the dark night, 

 and sometimes in the day, looking and smelling 

 earnestly for his food. He has great powers of dis- 

 covering where it lies ; and his long, delicate bill will 

 readily indicate when it strikes upon an angle-worm. 



