IX THE MORE.V. 21!? 



but then it was never my fortune to fall in with anything 

 resembling a "flight," as has not uufi'equently happened 

 to my acquaintances. 



But, after all, what does the Cock-shooting in the 

 Peninsula amount to as compared with that in Ireland or 

 the more southern parts of Europe ! I have now letters 

 before me from old friends, narrating their exploits in 

 those regions, which may be deserving of insertion here. 

 The first is from the late Sir Hyde Parker, in which, 

 when speaking of the Morca, he says, " We killed 450 

 Woodcocks in ten days, and the party that preceded us 

 650 in the same number of days." The second letter is 

 from Mr. George Chichester Oxenden, in which he states 

 that, " from January 14th to February 11th, with twenty 

 days' shooting, Captain G. Pitzhardinge Berkeley and 

 myself bagged 862 Woodcocks, 11 Hares, 11 Ducks, and 

 34 Snipes ; together, 918 head. Our best day was fifty 

 couple of Cocks and one Hare." 



The Woodcock is also occasionally taken in Scandi- 

 navia in snares, as also in traps, such as the Lam and the 

 Fall-stock, that are set for the Capercali and the Black- 

 Cock ; but I am not aware of any special contrivance 

 being had recourse to for the capture of Woodcocks. 

 Nets were formerly used for the purpose, but Linnseus, 

 who mentions the fact, omits to describe their nature. 

 He merely says, " they are suspended in the air in the 

 track of the Woodcock, because it does not fly high." 



