The woodcock has a “ love-flight” but of a quite different 
character, known by sportsmen as “ roding.” It takes the form 
of short flights up and down the “ ride,” or space selected for the 
nesting site. But while the female is sitting the male will still 
continue these flights, choosing the early morning and evenings. 
As he goes he utters strange cries, which have been compared, 
by some, to the words “ more rain to-morrow” and by others 
to, ‘ Cro-ho, cro-ho,” varied by a note sounding like, ‘‘ whee-e- 
cap.” These flights are varied by strange little displays upon the 
ground, when he will strut about before his mate with wings 
drooped and trailing on the ground, the tail spread, and the 
feathers of the head and neck standing on end. This gives him a 
very odd appearance, to human eyes, but it serves its purpose— 
which is to arouse his mate to amourous moods. 
Redshank, curlew, and dunlin—cousins of the snipe and 
woodcock—are all accomplished performers in the art of wooing 
on the wing. The male redshank, uttering flute-like notes, 
Mr. Farren tells us, soars up to a moderate height, and remains, 
for a brief space, “ hanging in the wind” with the tips of his 
curved wings rapidly vibrating. He then descends, pipit-like, 
earthwards, while the song, which has been uttered slowly, now 
quickens, reaching its climax as the bird, raising its wings above 
its back for an instant, finally alights on the ground. But he has 
yet other wiles, which are not used in mid-air. Approaching his 
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