32 GAME-BIRDS OF INDIA 



plaster of Paris splint; and in addition to this, in lying down the 

 bird had had the wounded leg forced up against the breast where the 

 foot had stuck to the feathers and mud, so that it might have been 

 said that not only had the bird arranged a splint for itself, but had 

 also put its foot into a sling to prevent its moving about. 



The Woodcock is generally considered rather a stupid bird and 

 an easy prey to trappers and snarers, who take full advantage of 

 his weak intellect. 



They are said to be regularly trapped in the Nilgiris and parts of 

 the Himalayas, and certainly in the Khasia Hills snares are to be 

 found set in almost every place known to be haunted by Woodcock. 



In Latham's Synopsis, Vol. iii., p. 130, there is a very quaint 

 description of the Woodcock. Amongst other things Latham notes 

 that " they are stupid birds and often taken in nets placed at the 

 openings where they come out of the woods and return to them in 

 the evenings, which they do in particular paths ; they are also caught 

 in springes placed on the ground, or near it, sometimes by the legs, 

 at other times by the neck ; for as these birds will not walk over the 

 least obstacle which projects in their way, it is usual to place a range 

 of stones and in the avenues between to set springes, by which 

 means many are often taken." 



The Woodcock is a very silent bird and but little is on record 

 about its voice. The male is said to have a hoarse, grating note 

 called "a bleat," "a croak," "a jarring chuckle," by various writers. 

 Mr. Osmaston speaks of the noise made by a female Woodcock 

 disturbed in its brooding as being " a continuous sort of grating 

 purring noise." Hume says that as far as his own experience goes 

 the Woodcock is mute in the cold weather, but he quotes Mr. Wilson 

 as writing of them in their summer haunts : "At this season they 

 are seen towards dusk, about the open glades and borders of the 

 forests on the higher ridges, flying rather high in the air in various 

 directions and uttering a loud, wailing cry." Hume also quotes 

 "European authors" to the effect that the Woodcock has "a very 

 peculiar call-note, first one or two snorts, a hollow, coarse, somewhat 

 lengthened nasal sound, followed by a short, fine sharp sort of whistle, 

 which when one is accustomed to it, may be heard to a considerable 

 distance," 



