THE-WOODCOCK. iot 



The Curlew, the Woodcock, the Snipe, the Godwit, the GREr 

 Plover, the Green and the Long-legged Plover, the Knot, and 

 the Turnstone, are rather the gucfts than the natives of this ifland. 

 They vifit us in the beginning of winter, and forfake us in the fpring. 

 They then retire to the mountains of the north. Their weak and deli- 

 cately pointed bills arc unfit to dig into a refifting foil j and their prey 

 is departed, were they able to reach its retreats. The coldeft mountains 

 of the north are then a preferable habitation ; the marfhcs there are never 

 totally dried up j and the infeds are in abundance, both above grouncl 

 and underneath. 



The Lapwing, the Ruff, the Redshank, the Sand-piper, the Sea- 

 pie, the Norfolk Plover, and the Sea-lark, breed in this country : 

 yet wander on fome occafions to the northern climates; efpecially 

 when our fummers are peculiarly dr)'. 



In nefUing and bringing up their young, one method takes place uni- 

 verfaily. As all run and feed on the ground, all neftle there ; their number 

 of eggs is from two to four ; the neft is made without art ; the eggs are 

 laid in fome little deprefTion of the earth, or on a few bents and long grafs 

 that fcarcely preferve them from the moifture below. Yet fuch is the 

 lieat of the body of thefe birds, that their time of incubation is (hotter 

 than with any others of the fame fize. 



Such are the general habits of this clafs of birds ; as feveral of them 

 have however peculiar and remarkable manners, we iliall notice ^fome 

 . more particularly. 



THE WOODCOCK 



S famous as excellent game : is rather a ftupid bird, and caught 



with no great difficulty : comes over in the beginning of winter ; if it 



loes not forfake a country, retires to the mountains, where it refides an4 



>reeds during fummer ; returns to the moift plains in winter. The firft 



fevere frofts or fnow oblige it to defcend : commonly arrive in the night, 



x)r in a foggy day, few together; never in troops: alight on thick hedges, 



and prefer where many leaves have fallen; here they hide by day ; in twi- 



' light quit their retreat, to feek humid fpots. When followed by the 



[fportfman, flies brifkly, but not far ; plunges behind buflies, and drops 



las fuddenly as lead ; inllantly runs a little way ; but ftops, holds up his 



Pa\t IV. No. 27. S head. 



