230 LAWSON'S HISTORY 



The woodcocks live and breed here, though 

 they are not in great plenty as I have seen them 

 in some parts of England and other places. They 

 want one third of the English woodcock in big- 

 ness, but differ not in shape or feather, save that 

 their breast is of a carnation color ; and they make 

 a noise (when they are on the wing) like the bells 

 about a hawk's legs. They are certainly a dainty 

 meat as any in the world. Their abode is in all 

 parts of this country, in low, boggy ground, 

 springs, swamps, and pocosons. 



The snipes here frequent the same places as 

 they do in England, and differ nothing from them. 

 They are the only wild bird that is nothing differ- 

 ent from the species of Europe, and keeps with us 

 all the year. In some places there are a great 

 many of these snipes. 



Our partridges in Carolina very often take upon 

 trees, and have a sort of whistle and call quite 

 different from those in England. They are a very 

 beautiful bird, and great destroyers of the peas in 

 plantations ; wherefore they set traps and catch 

 many of them. They have the same feather as in 

 Europe, only the cock wants the horse shoe, in 

 lieu of which he has a fair half circle over each 

 eye. These (as well as the woodcock) are less 

 than the European bird, but far finer meat. They 

 might be easily transported to any place, because 

 they take to eating after caught. 



The moorhens are of the black game. I am in- 

 formed that the gray game haunts the hills. They 





