FLIGHT OF WOODCOCKS. 329 



after a stormy night, several leagues to the westward of the 

 Land's End, when shaking the reefs out of the topsails, early in 

 the morning, several Woodcocks were discovered in the rigging. 

 With these premises before us, we think the mystery is, if not 

 entirely removed, at least much lessened, and a first landing on 

 the western shores of Ireland, and the Scilly Islands, fairly and 

 easily accounted for ; the birds naturally, as day approached, 

 sinking downward to the nearest land. 



That their flight, too, is rapid to the last, is further proved 

 by many instances having occurred of their killing themselves 

 by flying against the glass of the Eddystone Lighthouse. Of 

 their speed, indeed, some estimation may be formed, by one 

 which struck against the plate-glass of a lighthouse on the 

 coast of Ireland, and broke a pane cast for the place, of unusual 

 strength, viz., from A to B (^ ?), being more than three- 

 eighths of an inch thick; the blow was so violent, that in 

 addition to the glass being broken, the bird was found dead, 

 with its breast-bone, and both wings also, smashed. Again, no 

 less than five Woodcocks have killed themselves in a similar 

 manner, against the plate-glasses of the South Stack Light- 

 house, in Anglesea. 



There was a time when Woodcocks might be almost said 

 to be as plentiful as Wood-Pigeons are now at least, they 

 abounded to such a degree, that catching them was a regular 

 trade ; and about a hundred years ago, they used to be sold at 

 the moderate rate of from six to seven pence a couple ; but, 

 like Starlings, Wood-Pigeons, and several other birds, they 

 have since diminished in numbers. 



As far as concerns Woodcocks, this, indeed, may easily be 

 accounted for. In the first place, the demand, not for the full- 

 grown birds merely, but for the eggs, has greatly increased in 

 Sweden, where they are as highly esteemed, and therefore as 

 diligently sought for, as Plovers' eggs with us. Thus, not a 

 twentieth part of the former abundant numbers may now be 

 reared, and of course, our annual winter supply must propor- 

 tionably decrease. But other causes have operated, in this 

 country, still further to diminish the number of those which, 

 under former circumstances, might be inclined to come over 



