]00 ANECDOTE. 



of a friend of mine. I had presented him with an old 

 Capercali cock at a time when that bird, being far less 

 known than at present, looked on as was a great delicacy. 

 My friend in consequence invited a large party to discuss 

 it. The question then arose as to how it was to be 

 dressed? This was at length referred to the cook, and she 

 in her turn had recourse to the cookery-book. Her master 

 had told her that it was a "cock of the wood," which to 

 her comprehension meant a " Woodcock," and it was in 

 consequence prepared as such. But what must have been 

 the astonishment of the guests at finding the unfortunate 

 Capercali brought to table trail <m<l all! And what made 

 matters still worse, something very much resembling a 

 young fir-tree was found in its stomach. 



As a general rule, all the Woodcocks lea^e Scandinavia 

 on the approach of winter,* though, if a very mild one, 

 stragglers occasionally remain in the more southern parts 

 of both Sweden and Norway, as also in Denmark. In 

 two instances, indeed, I knew it to pass that inclement 

 season in the near vicinity of Ronnum. 



The departure of these birds from the Peninsula tallies 

 with their arrival in England, the larger portion leaving at 

 the end of October and beginning of November, the time 

 somewhat varying according to the state of the weather. 

 Unless delayed by storms and adverse winds on tin- 

 coast, where numbers then often congregate, they would 

 seem mostly to depart in driblets rather than in Hights. 

 Whilst on their way from the interior to the coast, 

 they ;ire Ix-lieved to travel by slo\\ journeys, and to iv-t 



* Str.iiij. OUT.- aiv |>PO|I|.- in Swi'.li-n at the- |>n-rii! i|:iy who 



ntrrtain tin- MTV sin^nliir <T..t,-h.-t th:iT tin- \VixxloM-k :t* is saiil <(' lli' 

 Swallow - fiassrs tin- \vin1i-r months in torpid state, at the IM.II ..... of a 

 lake or i-hi-r. ami U vrvivitii'il in the s|.rin<_' \>\ the u'enial warmth of tin 1 

 sun. It i~ ii.4 \IT\ Ion;.' -iii'-i-. imliTil. that tin- siil.jn-i 'isly 



moi.iril in print. 



