54 UPLAND SHOOTING. 



the hill-side cover, where it should have gone in the first 

 place. It was particularly gratifying to see that bird 

 fall before my companion's shot. 



They are curious birds in their ways before the gun, 

 and just as strange when performing in the privacy of 

 their woodland homes; and I well remember the antics at 

 which I caught one, when with a friend, one autumn 

 day, I was beating a high hill-top for ruffed grouse. 



Our setter came to a point toward a clump of pines, 

 and we expected to hear the rush of a startled grouse; 

 but not a sound. Peering beneath the trees, there upon 

 the carpet of pine needles we saw a woodcock, strutting 

 about just like a turkey-cock in miniature, with tail 

 erect, spread like a fan, and drooping wings, nodding its 

 head in time with the movement of its feet, as though 

 listening to music we could not hear. It was a droll 

 scene, and at the same time picturesque the tall, green 

 pines above their carpeting of tfsd-brown needles, a red 

 dog standing in perfect pose, with outstretched neck and 

 glaring eyes, a small, long-billed, dark-eyed, mottled 

 bird marching to and fro with all the pomp of a grena- 

 dier, and two sportsmen on their knees as silent spec- 

 tators. After watching it for some time, we flushed and 

 shot it, and in beating out a patch of pines not far away, 

 bagged four more. 



Although woodcock are much the same sort of birds 

 wherever found, and woodcock -shoo ting much the same 

 sort of sport when followed legitimately, still there are 

 slight variations, depending upon the topography of the 

 different sections in which they rest and feed. 



In certain parts of the West they are numerous in 

 extended swamps and corn-fields, while in other sections 

 it would be useless to look for them in these places, 

 because of the one being rank and sour and the other 

 dry and sandy. 



