BIRDS. 163 



Woodcock B. This well-known bird comes to us in 

 Scolopax vusticula. " flights " in October, but a few pairs 



Oct. Mar. remain here to nest in the neighbour- 



hood of the Wrekin, Baschurch, and 

 Ludlow. The Woodcock has a habit of traversing certain 

 tracks through the woods, when flying forth to feed in the 

 evening, and returning to its covert in the morning. 

 There are several " Cockshuts " ( = cock shoot) in Shrop- 

 shire supposed to be so called because the sportsmen 

 waited in these places to shoot the " cocks " as they flew 

 by. Mr. W. E. Edwards while walking some years ago 

 in a thick wood behind the Whit-cliff at Ludlow, surprised 

 a Woodcock with a brood of several young ones. She 

 picked one of them up and flew away, carrying it held by 

 her beak pressed to her breast. When flying the Wood- 

 cock does not hold up its head but carries it low, with the 

 beak pointing downwards. 



SNIPE B. Provincial, Full Snipe. Another bird dear to 



Gallinago ccelestis. sportsmen, and difficult to hit on 



account of its peculiar zig-zag flight. 



The extraordinary drumming noise which it makes while 



on the wing, during the breeding season, has given rise to 



much controversy and is alluded to at some length in 



Darwin's " Descent of Man." The Snipe is found on the 



Longmynd, and in most boggy places, and a few nest with 



us in marshy situations. 



Great Snipe. Provincial, Double Snipe. An autumn visitor 



G. major. which has occurred several times in 



Shropshire. Mr. Paddock shot a pair 



near Newport, during the hard frost of 1878-9. This species 



is distinguished by the large amount of white in its tail. 



