394 INDEX. 



Woodcock, or cock of the wood, of the grouse kind ; places 

 which this bird inhabits; how distinguished from other 

 birds of the poultry kind ; the delicacy of its flesh ; its 

 food and habitation; amorous desires first felt in spring; 

 keeps to the place where he first courts, and continues 

 till the trees have their leaves, and the forest is in bloom ; 

 its cry, clapping of wings, and ridiculous postures in this 

 season, during which the females, attending his call, are 

 impregnated ; sportsmen use this time to fire at them, and 

 take many while thus tame, though at others it is most 

 timorous and watchful ; the female much less than her mate, 

 and so unlike him in plumage, she might be mistaken for 

 another species ; number and size of the eggs ; she hatches 

 them without the cock ; and when obliged to leave them, in 

 quest of food, so covers them with moss or leaves, it is 

 difficult to find them ; she is then extremely tame and quiet ; 

 keeps her nest, though attempted to be driven away ; the 

 young being hatched they run with agility after the mother, 

 though scarcely disengaged from the shell ; their food ants' 

 eggs and wild mountain berries ; older, they feed upon tops 

 of heather, and cones of pine trees ; are hardy ; the clutch- 

 ing time over, the young males forsake the mother ; keep 

 together till spring, when the first genial access sets them 

 at variance for ever; fight each other like game-cocks, 

 and easily fall a prey to the fowler, iv. 162. 



Wood-louse, its description ; has three varieties ; where found; 

 how bred ; are of use in medicine, v. 422. 



Woodpecker, of this bird are many kinds, and varieties in 

 each ; general characteristics ; description of the green wood- 

 pecker or tvoodspite, called the rain-fowl in some parts ; feeds 

 upon insects, particularly those in hollow or rotting trees ; 

 description of its tongue, the instrument for killing and 

 procuring food ; what that intestine which anatomists call 

 the coecum ; stratagem used by them to catch ants ; in 

 what manner they make nests, and how delicate in the 

 choice ; number of eggs ; nests in warmer regions of Guinea 

 and Brasil ; little -woodpecker^ called by the natives of Brasil 

 guiratemga, iv. 196. 



Woods (in Britain) cut down by the Romans, and for what 

 reason, i. 245. 



Woodward, his essay towards a natural history of the earth ; 

 detail of it, i. 21. 



Wool, the Spanish finer than ours, but in weight not com- 

 parable to that of Lincoln or Warwickshire ; some Spanish 

 wool required to work up with it, ii. 259. Of the pacos, 

 most valuable, and formed into stuffs not inferior to silk ; 

 this manufactory a branch of considerable commerce in. 

 South America, iii. 382. 



Worms, within the body of the caterpillar, devour its entrails, 



