86 SHOOTING. 



Dr. Latham says : — "In the fiist, the head is of a pale red, body 

 white, and the wings brown ; the second is of a dun, or rather cream 

 colour; and the third of a pui'e white. Dr. Heysham, in his 

 Catalogue of Cumberland Animals^ mentions having met with one, 

 the general coloui- of which was a fine i^ale ash, with frequent bars 

 of a very delicate rufous ; tail brown, tipped with white ; and the 

 bill and legs a flesh colour. In addition to these, some other va- 

 rieties are taken notice of by the late Marmaduke Tunstall, Esq., 

 of Wychff, in his interleaved books of ornithology. Mr. Daniel 

 seems likewise to be aware of such a difference, for he observes that 

 there are different sizes of woodcocks. Those found in the firstpart 

 of the season are of the largest size, fly heavily, and their heads ap- 

 pear to be muifled, especially the under parts, with short feathers. 

 The most numerous tribe, which arrive in November and Decem- 

 ber, are rather smaller, their heads less, the feathers smoother, and 

 the bills shorter. Woodcocks that arrive iu this country about 

 Candlemas, are likewise small, and differ in their manner of flying ; 

 are quicker of wing, take pretty long flights, and are well known to 

 be very difficult to shoot, on account of their not rising above the 

 spray, hke the larger muffled woodcocks, but make their way for 

 some distance as it were among the boughs. Mr. Baillon also 

 not'ces two kinds of woodcocks. The largest arrive first, and may 

 be distinguished from the others by the colour of their legs, which 

 are of a grayish tint, iuclining to rose colour. The smaller kind 

 have a coating similar to that of the common woodcock, but their 

 legs are blue. Variegated plumage and other anomahes now and 

 then occur among these birds ; thus, a pure white one has been 

 seen, and we can only wonder that still greater variations do not 

 frequently take place ; for although most sporting works, in their 

 account of the woodcock, usually confine his foreign residence to 

 the North of Europe, yet it should be known that he is likewise 

 found in all the climates, both hot and cold, in the old continent, 

 as well as in North and South America. It is, however, a curious 

 fact, that he is everywhere an emigratiug bird. His migrations in. 

 some countries appear, however, to be confined to a joui-ney from 

 the plains to the mountains, and vice versa. In Eui'ope he is located 

 durmg the summer on the Alps, Pyrenees, and other lofty moun- 

 tains, from whence he migrates to the regions below, and probably 

 some reach us. His universality thus estabhshed, we need not be 

 surprised that he should thus sport into varieties, seeing that every 

 locality, according to its proximity or remoteness from what maybe 

 considered as its attracting spot for domestication for the time, has 

 its influence over the size, colour, and even the aptitudes of the 

 animal." 



The sex of the woodcock has given rise to some discussions among 

 sportsmen and naturahsts. It has been considered as entirely un- 

 marked by any external signs ; but internally it can be readily de- 

 tected. Mr. Pennant, however, thinks the question may be easily 

 set at rest, even from the examination of the bird's feathers, which 



