SCOLOrAX RUSTICOLA 



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Azores, have been met with on the American Continent, in Newfound- 

 hmd, New Jersey, and Virginia. 



Within Indian limits the Woodcock is a resident throughout the 

 Himalayas, where it breeds freely above 10,000 feet, and often at 

 even lower elevations. Thence in the cold weather it migrates in 

 considerable numbers to every portion of the Indian Empire where 

 there are suitable hills and mountains. It has been frequently shot 

 in Ceylon and in the Burmese hills as far south as Tenasserim, it 

 is found in all the hill ranges of Southern India, and is common in 

 the sub-Himalayan ranges during the winter months. As might 

 be expected, where the country is adapted to sportsmen and shooting 

 is more or less easy, the Woodcock is said to be more common than 

 elsewhere. Thus in the Nilgiris, about Ooty, it is quite common 

 though it is reported to be far less so in the Assamboo Hills, and to 

 be comparatively rare in the Palnis, Shevaroys, &c. That is to say 

 where the sportsmen can get at the birds in comfort, he goes out 

 and finds them common, whereas where the cover is heavy and the 

 ground difficult he goes out far less often and sees far fewer birds. 



Exactly the same conditions are found in the North-east Frontier. 

 The Khasia Hills appear to have been forested with an especial view 

 to provide good shooting for Woodcock, and therefore tradition has 

 long demanded that every sportsman who wishes to be known as 

 such must pursue this bird for all he is worth. Hence it is known 

 to be more or less common, and the hard-working gunner may work 

 up to nearly a hundred birds in a good season ; indeed. Colonel Wilson 

 only just missed his two hundred birds in one season. Next to the 

 Khasia Hills are the North Cachar Hills, in fact they form part of 

 the same range. These, however, are either very heavily forested 

 or are covered with bamboo. The latter is seldom in India, as 

 far as I am aware, frequented by Woodcock and the former is too 

 heavy to allow of shooting small game with any comfort ; the con- 

 sequence is no one ever attempts this form of sport and the cock is 

 said to be rare. The fact is, I think, that anywhere between 

 1st November and 1st March, in hills over 4,000 feet elevation, one 

 should be able to find Woodcock if sufficient time and trouble is 

 given to the search and there are suitable places for the birds to lie 



