THE BOOK OF MIGRATORY BIRDS 195 



never perch on a branch they prefer the concealment offered 

 by trees to that of any other covert. There, crouching 

 under a holly, or among briars and thorns, they spend 

 the day in inactivity, guarded from molestation by their 

 stillness, and by the rich brown tint of their plumage, 

 which can hardly be distinguished from dead leaves. 

 Their large prominent bead-like eyes are alone likely to 

 betray them ; and this, it is said, is sometimes the case. 



So conscious do they seem that their great security lies 

 in concealment that they will remain motionless until a 

 dog is almost on them, or until the beater reaches the very 

 bush under which they are crouching. When at length 

 roused, they start up with a whirr, winding and twisting 

 through the overhanging boughs, and make for the nearest 

 open place ahead; now, however, flying in almost a 

 straight line, till discovering another convenient lurking- 

 place, they descend suddenly, to be ' 'marked" for another 

 shot. 



About twilight the woodcock awakens out of its lethargy, 

 and repairs to its feeding-ground. Observation having 

 shown that on these occasions it does not trouble itself to 

 mount above the trees before it starts, but makes for the 

 nearest clear place, in the wood, through which it gains 

 the open country; fowlers were formerly in the habit of 

 erecting in glades in the woods two high poles, from which 

 was suspended a fine net. This was so placed as to hang 

 across the course which the birds were likely to take, 

 and when a cock flew against it the net was suddenly made 

 to drop by the concealed fowler, and the bird caught, 

 entangled in the meshes. Not many years ago, these nets 

 were commonly employed in the woods, near the coast of 

 the north of Devon, and they are still said to be in use on 

 the Continent. The passages through which the birds flew 

 were known by the name of " cockroads," and 

 " cockshoots." 



The localities which woodcocks most frequent are places 

 which abound in earth worms, their favourite food. When 

 the earth is frozen they repair to the sea, or near springs ; 



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