406 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS 



lies with his head dropped on his shoulders, and on rising 

 makes one or two sharp whistles with his wings. It often hap- 

 pens, however, especially if the bird goes on to dry ground or 

 into long grass, or if he drops, as he often does, like a stone, 

 without running, that the best dog cannot find him by scent. 

 Many and many a time in summer the bird may be marked 

 down accurately, and may be found only by actually kicking 

 him up. A little study shows this to be quite accidental, de- 

 pending upon the condition of the ground, upon the kind of 

 cover, and upon whether the bird runs or not. It is a fact 

 which has some bearing on the vexed question whether or not 

 the Quail voluntarily withhold their scent. 



The structure of Woodcock's eyes is very peculiar, being 

 adapted to their habits of moving and feeding at night ; and 

 the birds not unfrequently run against telegraph-wires in the 

 day-time, and are thus killed. Our species differs radically from 

 the European. The general appearance and markings of the 

 latter are wholly different, especially in his being waved beneath. 

 He is a third larger, two-thirds less luscious, much more indo- 

 lent, and wholly silent on the wing. He may be described 

 generally as a cross between a curlew and an owl. Our Wood- 

 cock is not a warbler, and does not alight on trees, the asser- 

 tions of our farmers to the contrary notwithstanding. 



(d). His notes are few and unmusical. In spring, at the 

 time of his antics in the air, he utters a series of peculiar, and 

 rather harsh but not very loud notes. Wilson speaks of his 

 *' sudden quack" and says that " when uttering his common 

 note on the ground, he seems to do it with difficulty, throwing 

 his head towards the earth and frequently jetting up his tail." 

 The young have a feeble " peep." 



II. GALLINAGO 



(A) WILSONI. (American) Snipe. Wilson's Snipe. 

 (A common migrant through Massachusetts.) 

 (a). Average length, ten inches. Bill essentially like that 

 of the Woodcock, and about as long. Head much less stout, 

 and tail longer, than the corresponding parts of that bird. 



