90 SHOOTING. 



they are common in Japan. The woodcocks that resort to the 

 comitries of the Levant^ probahly come from the deserts of Siberia 

 or Tartary, or the old mountains of Armenia, In the neighbourhood 

 of Athens, hares and other game are ]3urchased for little more than 

 , the value of powder and shot. In winter, woodcocks abound, de- 

 scending, after snow on the mountains, into the plains, and suddenly 

 retiring if the weather continues severe. They enter the gardens 

 of the town in great distress, rather than cross the sea, and are i 

 sometimes caught with the hand. i 



It is now fully ascertained that woodcocks occasionally breed in I 

 this country, and even as far north as the Orkney Islands. These 

 settlements are, however, but rare, amounting to a case or two 

 every season. i 



It is maintained that these birds are not nearly so plentiful as 

 they were some forty years ago in this country. Perhaps this 

 may really be the case ; but we have some doubts of the fact. 

 It is so much the fashion to magnify the past at the expense of i 

 the present, that we do not attach so much credit to these by- ' 

 gone statements, as some writers do, There^ is a greater number : 

 of sportsmen now than formerly, at least in the shooting art ; ; 

 and this may account for fewer woodcocks being killed now by any 

 single person. The sport, we apprehend, is more generally dif- 

 fused, but not seriously, if at all, diminished from former times. 



Cock spaniels are considered the best dogs to be used in wood- 

 cock shooting. Some use setters or pointers ; but they are considered 

 inferior to the spaniel where the woods are extensive, and thickly 

 set with underwood, and brambles, and thorns. This Idnd of dog 

 should, however, be well trained, and should be taught both to 

 hunt close, or widely, just as circumstances require. Both beaters 

 and markers are required in extensive woods. This employment 

 of beaters and markers requires a regularly digested plan of opera- 

 tions, and a minute regard to particulars and instructions pre- 

 viously agreedupon among the parties. They must take their 

 stations at a given spot, and pay attention to each other's signs 

 and movements, otherwise they will be working at cross pnrposes. 

 and prove worse than useless. Many beaters take sticks, and 

 other similar things with them, with which to beat the bushes 

 and underwood; while the markers ascend some elevated piece of 

 ground, or even some tree, and when the birds rise, mark accurately 

 where they drop, and give correct instructions to the gunner. 



Large quantities pf woodcocks are taken by means of nets and 

 traps, and find their way to the London markets, where they 



fenerally bring tolerably high prices. It is said that in the neigh- 

 ourhood of Torrington, in Devonshire, these birds are so numerous 

 throughout the season, that they have been killed to the value of 

 nearly two thousand pounds in one year. Catchiag them by nets 

 and spriQgs is common in the hilly countries of Cumberland, West- 

 moreland, and Durham. The same practices are in operation in 

 Wales to a great extent. Mr. Dobson says, "The poacher's dog 



