70 On the North- American Woodcock. 



About 40 minutes after sun-set, we arrived at the 

 fipot, where we expected to hear the woodcocks. 



Presently we heard several, in different directions', 

 calling in a note that sounded like the word '< quake," 

 pronounced long. We attended particularly to one, 

 that seemed, from his note, to be about 100 yards 

 from us, in an open field. The grass was long, and 

 the light beginning to fade, we could not distinguish 

 him very well. 



After catling five or six times, pausing eight or ten 

 seconds between each call, he ascended into the air in 

 an oblique course, till he rose 2 or 300 yards above 

 the field ; there he continued several minutes flying 

 in a circle, and singing in a beautiful manner. As 

 he descended, he narrowed his circle, and varied his 

 note, till he came within 100 yards of the ground, 

 when he threw himself perpendicularly down to the 

 spot from whence he had risen. He repeated these 

 flights several times, calling eight or ten times be- 

 tween each flight ; at length the female came, and, af- 

 ter a few notes of congratulation, they ascended to- 

 gether, almost perpendicularly, 100 yards, and then, 

 taking a horizontal course, disappeared. 



The woodcock ascends with a uniform note, like the 

 ringing of a very small bell ; at his greatest height, he 

 has a variety of notes, some of which exceedingly re- 

 semble those of the English sky-lark. 



