WOODCOCK, SNIPE, AND PLOVER. 263 



In certain districts the birds are variously marked ; 

 I have had woodcocks from the New Forest, from St 

 Leonards, and Tilgate Forest, also from the coverts 

 on the Surrey hills. They were certainly all cocks, 

 yet not one was like the other, either as regards size 

 or depth of colour. The bird from the New Forest 

 was remarkable for the plumpness of his body 

 and the shortness of legs. The friend who brought 

 him told me that the woodcocks were all of the same 

 stamp there, and they called them New Foresters to 

 distinguish them from others. The cock from the 

 coverts on the Surrey hills, where at one time they 

 were numerous, was a larger bird than the one above 

 mentioned, and it was grey in tone ; when compared 

 together the difference was striking. The St Leon- 

 ards and Tilgate Forest birds held a midway posi- 

 tion between the other two as regarded size and 

 colouring. 



In my rambles I have come on very quiet places, 

 known locally by the name of Cockshet, or Cockshut, 

 Hill or Glade. " Cockshoot," I presume, it was 

 originally. 



Woodcocks, if not disturbed, have favourite tracks 

 that they take when they leave the hills for their 



