170 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



regularly hailed the legitimate time for Woodcock shooting, as 

 the first of September in England for Partridge, 



In New Jersey, which is in almost every respect a century 

 behind all the neighboring States, there is a special proviso 

 that on his own ground every man may kill all sorts of game 

 whenever he pleases, without the slightest reference to common 

 sense or humanity, and may give permission, to any one he 

 pleases, to do likewise. A proviso, which not only abrogates 

 the whole law, in point of fact, but in truth gives the poacher a 

 clear advantage over the honorable sportsman. 



There is, however, I imagine, no prospect of any alteration of . 

 this law, which is in perfect keeping with the pig-headed 

 stupidity manifested throughout the legislation of that State. 

 And why, in fact, should not a man be allowed to kill Wood- 

 cock whenever he likes on his ovioi ground, in a State wherein 

 a company is licensed to kill men and women, whenever they 

 like, on their own rail-road ; and charge them whatever they 

 like for killing them into the bargain 1 



On the first of July, then. Woodcock shooting legitimately 

 commences ; although before that day hundreds, nay thousands, 

 are killed along the sea-board, and notoriously offered for sale 

 by almost all the restaurateurs and hotel-keepers in New- York, 

 the utmost efforts of the Sportsman's Club to the contrary not- 

 withstanding. 



At this period, about four-fifths of the birds — the young 

 birds, of course, I mean — are half grown or thereabout, some 

 only being a few weeks old, and others, in late and adverse 

 seasons, scarcely hatched. 



The Woodcock commences laying as early as the beginning 

 of February, and sometimes lays so late as to the end of June, 

 or the beginning of July. The eggs are four, and sometimes 

 five in number, — of no more than this does any naturalist in- 

 form us. Whether the old birds regularly breed a second, and 

 third time, what becomes of the young birds of the first hatch- 

 ing in the meantime, and whether they are protected by the 

 male bird, is all left dark. 



