192 THE CALL-NOTE. 



feeding-grounds in the open country.* In the spring, 

 before leaving our shores," he adds, " its ' rodings ' are 

 for amatory purposes, the males seeking the females ; and 

 here" (Broome Park, in Kent, where the woods are of 

 enormous extent), "we have sometimes seen of an evening 

 as many as iifteen thus occupied." 



The Woodcock is monogamous, and pairs early in the 

 spring, either prior to, or immediately after, its return to 

 Scandinavia ; and, as it is believed, at the " Drag," of 

 which mention has just been made. 



" During its morning and evening flights at this time," 

 says Ekstrom, who is much more at home on this subject 

 than myself, " it gives utterance to a peculiar ' Luck-ton,' 

 or call-note, which sportsmen express by knort, knort, 

 knisp ! or more properly, perhaps, by orrt, orrt, iiisp I Tiie 

 first, knort or orrt, is a hollow, coarse, and somewhat 

 lengthened nasal sound ; the second, knisj) or ^j/s/?, a 

 short, fine, and sharp sort of whistle, which, when one is 

 accustomed to it, may be heard at a considerable distance. 

 This note clearly appears to be the one by which the 

 betrothed invite each other to pairing ; for the bird 

 seems to pay very little attention to the otv^t, but always 

 listens and looks about it as soon as it hears the plsj). 

 When two Woodcocks, whilst 'roding,' meet, or come 

 in near proximity, they chase each other ; and whilst 

 casting themselves with the rapidity of lightning amongst 

 the trees and bushes, even to the very ground, they 

 give quick and hurried utterance to their finer note, 

 pisp). Although one can seldom witness actual pairing,! 



■■•■ " During tlie winter," Mr. Oxeuden furtlier says, " I have often 

 stationed myself at the femons ' Eoding-stand,' on the limits of the great 

 Muccrus Woods (Killarney) which adjoin the bogs, and on one occasion 

 shot four couple of Cocks in half an hour." 



t ThLs is said to take place on the ground, in some open space in the 

 forest. During the act of paii-ing, the male, Kjwrbolling tells us, spreads his 

 tail, ftin-form, and droops his wings in the same manner as the Black-Cock. 



