290 COCK-SHOOTING. 



an islander, who was herding cows, told us that there was a 

 crowour keough beg* in the next ravine. We accordingly put 

 a setter in, and were gratified with a steady point in the place 

 the herdsman had intimated. The bird sprang, and was 

 knocked over by my companion, when the little woodcock 

 proved to be a double snipe. These birds are extremely scarce 

 here, and a few couple only are seen during a whole season 

 by persons most conversant in traversing the bogs. There 

 cannot be a doubt but this bird is a distinct species ; but for 

 its extreme rarity and solitary habits naturalists are puzzled to 

 account. 



We shot, before we began to ascend the hill, a couple of 

 woodcocks lying out upon the moors. They were very shy, 

 never allowing the dogs to come to a set. This is usually the 

 case when these birds are outlying ; and I have followed a 

 cock for miles before I got him within fire, teased by his 

 getting up before I could approach, and removing some hun- 

 dred yards from the gun. Some favourable inequality of sur- 

 face has at last enabled me to close with my wild quarry, and, 

 notwithstanding the keenness of his eye, got the wary stranger 

 eventually within range of shot. 



There grows in the valleys and water- courses which are so 

 frequent in the Achil and Ballycroy hills, that large and 

 shrub-like heather that reaches nearly to the height of brush- 

 wood. Here, in the earlier season, the woodcocks repose 

 after their passage, and at times the numbers found in these 

 ravines are stated to be extraordinary. With the first frost or 

 snow they move off to the interior, dropping as they go along 

 in the different covers, until a part of the flight reaches the 

 very centre of the kingdom. We met, during our day's fag, 

 about fifteen couple, out of which eight and a half were 

 brought to bag. To these we added three brace and a half 

 of grouse, and a brace of hares. When with these were 

 united snipes, plovers, and rabbits, it is not too much to say 

 that our bags were most imposing, and produced above fifty 

 head of game. From our kind friends, the Water Guards, 

 we received a hospitable reception ; and next morning were 

 run across the bay in their galley, and landed safely upon our 

 own shores. 



The cock-shooting, to use my cousin's words, in the west 



* A little woodcock. 



