WOODCOCKS. 289 



wisps sprang wildly, as they always do ; and I have no doubt 

 that this fen had been their temporary resting-place after their 

 autumnal migration from the north. We were the more in- 

 clined to this opinion, from finding many of the birds we 

 killed extremely lean ; while others, that sprang singly, were 

 in admirable condition. Achil is a natural resting-place for 

 migratory birds : and hence I can well believe the accounts 

 given by the islanders, of the immense numbers of woodcocks 

 and snipes which are here found, in their transit from a high 

 latitude to our more genial climate. The same remark is 

 made touching the vernal visit of these strangers to this island. 

 After woodcocks have for days vanished from the inland 

 covers, they have been found in flocks on the Achil and Erris 

 highlands, evidently congregating for their passage, and pre- 

 paring for the attempt. 



It may be easily conceived, that whether the winter stock 

 of snipes and woodcocks be limited or abundant, will mainly 

 depend upon the state of the winds and weather at the period 

 of migration. Hence, when the latter end of October and the 

 succeeding month have continued stormy, with south or south- 

 easterly gales, a lamentable deficiency of game has been in- 

 variably observed. That multitudes perish on their passage, 

 or are obliged to change their course, is certain and the ex- 

 hausted state in which the small portion of the survivors 

 reach these shores, attests how difficult the task must be to 

 effect a landing, when opposed by contrary winds and stormy 

 weather. 



We crossed the bent-banks, occasionally knocking a rabbit 

 over as we went along, and wheeled to the westward to skirt 

 the base of Slieve More. We had not proceeded far, before 



that many constantly remain, and breeds in various parts of the country, 

 for their nests and young ones have been so often found as to leave no 

 doubt of this fact. The female makes her nest in the most retired and 

 inaccessible part of the morass, generally upon the stump of an alder or 

 willow ; it is composed of withered grass and a few feathers ; her eggs, 

 four or five in number, are of an oblong shape, and of a greenish colour, 

 with rusty spots ; the young ones run off soon after they are freed from 

 the shell, but they are attended by the parent birds until their bills have 

 acquired a sufficient firmness to enable them to provide for themselves. 



The snipe is a very fat bird, but its fat does not cloy, and veryrars'y 

 disagrees even with the weakest stomach. It is much esteemed as a 

 delicious and well-flavoured dish, and is cooked in the same manner as the 

 woodcock. 



