UPLAND SHOOTING. 175 



a young downy, unfledged Woodcock, less than two inches 

 long. 



Chaiiro would carry a hurt bird by the tip of his wing, with- 

 out ruflling a feather; and though it will hardly be believed, I 

 took the little fledgling from his mouth unbanned, and had the 

 satisfaction of seeing him run away briskly, and hide himself 

 behind a dock-leaf. 



That day we shot no more, nor indeed that summer ; but 

 before we left Orange county, I went again to the same brake 

 with the old dog, but without a gun, and flushed what I presume 

 to have been the male bird, which, by its simulated crippled 

 flight, again drawing me away from the spot, convinced me that 

 he was watching over his motherless little ones. 



Had I needed anything to convince me that Woodcock ought 

 not to be shot in July, that scene would bave convinced me ; 

 and since that day I have never ceased to advocate a change 

 and simplification of our game laws, which should prohibit the 

 kilHng of Woodcock until the first day of October ; and make 

 that one day the end of close time for all game whatever. 



For the present, however, until the game laws shall be al- 

 tered, and established on a more reasonable and more penna- 

 nent footing, of which I flatter myself there is still a remote hope 

 lefl; to the true sportsman, there is nothing left but to make the 

 best of it, — to take the field ourselves, with the c( iroWoi, and 

 do our best at the slaughter ; nor will I deny that there is much 

 sport in it, though sport which, if men could be induced to fore- 

 go it, would lead to such results in autumn, as we can now hardly 

 imagine. 



This interesting little bird, being properly nocturnal in his 

 habits, is rai-ely or never seen by day, unless by those who are 

 especially in pursuit of him, and even by them he is found with 

 difficulty, unless when hunted with well broke dogs. 



At nightfall, however, he may often be seen on the wing, 

 darting athwart the gloom from the dry upland coverts, in 

 which at many seasons he loves to lie, toward his wet feeding 

 grounds. During the hours of darkness he is on the alert con- 



