MIGRA TION OF WOODCOCKS. 327 



It remains to make a few remarks on the migration of 

 Woodcocks, which is attended with more mystery than that 

 of most other birds. We shall endeavour briefly to state the 

 chief points for consideration. First, we have every reason to 

 believe that the greater proportion, on leaving this country in 

 March, retire to the wild solitudes of Norway or Sweden. 

 Secondly, that on reappearing in England in October they are 

 for the most part poor and weak. Thirdly, that instead of 

 being first seen on the eastern coasts, they are for the most 

 part known to land on the western shores of Ireland, and 

 almost in flocks on the Scilly Islands, twenty miles to the 

 westward of the Land's End, Cornwall, quite exhausted. 



Now, on the supposition that the major part are bred in 

 Norway and Sweden, if we examine a map it will be evident 

 that they ought naturally to alight on the eastern shores, as 

 the nearest points. Their weak, lean, and exhausted state, 

 however, supposing it to arise from fatigue, implies a far 

 longer and more continued flight than that from Norway, 

 which, even supposing that they prefer, for some unknown 

 cause, the western to the eastern shores of our island for their 

 first appearance, is quite a trifling affair for most birds, the 

 distance in a straight line from the nearest point of Norway to 

 the Land's End being not more than seven or eight hours' 

 journey for a bird whose rapidity of flight, when once fairly 

 on the wing, is exceeded by few, if any, of the feathered race. 

 It is obvious that so short a space of time is by no means suffi- 

 cient to occasion fatigue, and still less to lower the bodily 

 condition so as to affect the health of the bird. 



But some may be ready to say, How know we that their 

 flight is short ? If they land on the west coast, may they not 

 have crossed the wide Atlantic, and taken their departure from 

 America 1 The answer is decisive of the contrary, the American 

 Woodcock being entirely different from the British species. 

 Having said thus much, we think some light may be thrown 

 upon this obscure subject by examining the above facts and 

 comparing them with some others which are equally well known 

 about Woodcocks. 



In the first place, their lean, poor, and often scurfy condition 



