THE WOODCOCK. 237 



heavy bags are made in the Dunglass Woods near Cock- 

 burnspath, 1864 being remarkable in this respect, when 

 forty-seven couple were got during the season. Only 

 fifteen couple were obtained there in 1891-92. 1 On the 

 16th of November 1875 seven couple were bagged in the 

 Whitfield covers on Ayton Estate. 2 Colonel Brown of 

 Longformacus tells me that on the 8th of November 1876 

 eight couple were shot in Watch Cover. 3 Seven couple 

 were procured in the Harelaw Craigs Wood on Duns Castle 

 Estate in a day's shooting in the winter of 1875. 4 In the 

 Spottiswoode home covers four couple were brought down 

 on the 1 5 th of December 1 8 8 7 ; 5 and as many were got 

 on the 21st of November 1890 in the Ferneyrig covers, in 

 the parish of Eccles. 6 Five Cock were shot in the covers 

 at Paxton, in the parish of Hutton, on the 15th of Novem- 

 ber 1887; and Mr. Macbraire of Broadmeadows has in- 

 formed me that one day about 1864 he killed six at 

 Tweedhill over a steady old pointer. 



The Woodcock is an early breeder, generally making 

 its nest, which consists of a slight hollow in the ground 

 lined with dry grass and leaves, about the outskirts of the 

 woods. The eggs, which are four in number, and are 

 yellowish white, spotted with grey and reddish brown, are 

 usually found in the month of April, but sometimes later. 

 Writing under date the 31st of May 1885, Mr. Hardy 

 says : " A pair of Woodcock are breeding this year in 

 the Oak Wood above Nesbit Haugh, near Penmanshiel 



snow-storm, got to his own gun 21| couple of Cock in the young plantations on 

 Legerwood Farm, chiefly round the Legerwood and Whitslaid marches. He has 

 known as many as 30 couple killed in a day on Chapel. 



1 Mr. John Bolton, gamekeeper, Dunglass, Cockburnspath, 8th February 1892. 



2 Mr. Hugh Fraser, late gamekeeper at Ayton Castle, December 1891. 



3 Information from Colonel Brown on 10th March 1887. 



4 Mr. W. Smith, gamekeeper, Duns Castle. 



5 Mr. J. Young, gamekeeper, Spottiswoode, 17th December 1891. 



6 Mr. George Landles, gamekeeper, Ferneyrig, 22nd December 1891. 



