130 SHOOTING. 



eacii .side of a narrow and sedgy stream, when, with the addition, 

 of a couple of industrious dogs, execution is sometimes done, and 

 a few brace bagged in the course of a day ; but it is only in some 

 favoured locality tliat success can be realized even in that country, 

 where the birds are niore nmnerous than they are with ui. It is 

 not often that these birds are regularly sought after by gunners in 

 }^]ngland ; the shooting of them belongs rather to the stray or catch- 

 luck of the sijortsman than to his ordinary coui'se of amusement. 



In many ot the rivers that lie along the south-eastern portion of 

 the coast of France, and which are of a sedgy and torpid character, 

 the coots _ are very numerous ; but what is somewhat curious, 

 the inhabitants in rural districts consider them very ominous, 

 and whenever they see one fly out from its hiding-place, they 

 cross themselves, and look upon the circumstance as dire and 

 threatening. This may, perhaps, be susceptible of some degree of 

 explanation, when we consider the shy and retii'ing habits of the 

 bird. These give rise to mystery. Wimt is not often placed before 

 the senses becomes impressed with the attributes of spuitual 

 agency, and an unlaiown power. This has been the case in all ages, 

 and with almost every member of animated creation, _A great deal 

 '■ of the religious feeling of savages hasno other foundation tlian this. 

 Tlie Curlew {Scolopax Aqimta, JAmi.) . — We have often found 

 shooting the curlevv^ a favourite diversion; but he is a shy bird, 

 and requnes the utmost cncumspection in aU attempts to get 

 within range of him. He measures about two feet in length, and 

 from the tip of each wing averages about three feet. Tlie bill is 

 fuU seven inches in length, regularly curved, and of a tender sub- 

 stance at the point, wliich is blunt. The upper mandible is of a 

 blackish hue, gi-adually rmniiug into bro^ra toAvards the base; and 

 ihe under one is flesh-coloured. The head, neck, and upper part 

 of the back, andwing-coverts, are of a pale brown, and the middle 

 of each feather is black, fringed and deeply indented \\\\\\ pale 

 rust, or light gray. The breast, belly, and lower portion of tlie 

 beak, are of a dull white, thinly spotted with black ; and the two 

 former -^dth oblong strokes of the same colour mathematically set. 

 The quills are black, the inner webs being crossed or spotted with 

 white. The tail is barred with black, on a white ground tmged witli 

 red. The legs are bare a little above the knee, and of a bluish 

 hue, and the toes are thick and strong, and flat on the under side. 



These birds difl^er considerably both in size and plumage ; som.e 

 weighing twenty -fom- ounces, and others thirty, and even upwards. 

 In the general plumage of some kinds, the white parts are nuicli 

 more distinct and clearly defined than in others, which are more 

 uniformly gray, and tinged with pale brown. The female is very 

 much like the male. She makes her nest upon the ground, in a 

 dry tuft of rushes or grass, or of such withered materials as are 

 found near the spot. She lays /our eggs, of a greenish hue, which 

 hav3 a number of brQwn spots irregularly distributed over them. 

 The food of these birds consists of worms, flies, and insects, which 



