10 GAME-BIEDS OF INDIA 



Wilson's list thirty-four birds were below this weight. On the other 

 hand, whilst Colonel Wilson's heaviest bird only pulled I2-4 ozs. in 

 Captain Douglas' list, there were two of 14 ozs. or over and eight of 

 13 ozs. or over. It is interesting also to note that of Captain Douglas' 

 birds, those killed after Christmas exceeded those killed before Christ- 

 mas by nearly an ounce. 



Of Colonel Wilson's birds practically six out of seven were killed in 

 the early part of the season between October and January ; many 

 just after arrival on migration, so that the difference is fully 

 accounted for. 



Dr. Moore shot birds in Dibrugarh weighing 1'2, 13, and 14 ozs,, 

 and Mr. Mondy sent me a bird which weighed just short of 14 ozs. 

 Any of them would have equalled good English birds, and though the 

 weights are admittedly exceptional for Indian birds, this is only 

 because it is also the exception to shoot any but young birds in the 

 plains and lower hills of India, whilst even in the higher hills of 

 Southern India mature birds seem to be but seldom shot. 



Dr. W. Moore writes to me anent the weight of his Woodcock as 

 follows : — 



" The first two I shot, both on the same day, weighed llf ozs. 

 each, and though I shot no heavier birds than these, afterwards some 

 ran them very close, and of eighteen I weighed none were under 

 12 ozs. except one, and that was obviously a bird in very poor 

 condition. 



" I found Woodcock in Dibrugarh on the burnt chapries (grass 

 lands) near damp forest, feeding on the parched and crippled insects 

 brought to earth by the recent fires." 



Distribution. — Outside our Indian limits Seebohm thus describes 

 the habitat of the Woodcock: " Our Woodcock is a semi-arctic bird, 

 ranging from the Atlantic to the Pacific. In Scandinavia it breeds 

 up to latitude 67, in West Russia to 65, but in East Eussia and 

 Siberia not much above 60. Its southern breeding range extends to 

 the Azores, Canaries, Madeira, the Alps, Carpathians, and Caucasus, 

 to the Himalayas (where it breeds at an elevation of 10,000 feet, and 

 to Mongolia and the mountains of Japan. It has not occurred in 

 Iceland or in Greenland, and once only in the Faroes ; but accidental 

 stragglers, no doubt driven westward by storms, principally from the 



