THE WOODCOCK. 343 



pean twelve. The European Woodcock makes its first 

 appearance in Britain in October and November, that 

 country being in fact only its winter quarters ; for early in 

 March they move off' to the northern parts of the continent. 

 to breed. The American species, on the contrary, winters 

 in countries south of the United States, arrives here early 

 in March, extends its migrations as far, at least, as the 

 river St. Lawrence, breeds in all the intermediate places, 

 and retires again to the south on the approach of winter. 

 The one migrates from the torrid to the temperate regions ; 

 the other from the temperate to the arctic. The two birds 

 therefore, notwithstanding their names are the same, differ 

 not only in size and markings, but also in native climate. 

 Hence the absurdity of those who would persuade us, that 

 the Woodcock of America crosses the Atlantic to Europe, 

 and vice versa. These observations have been thought 

 necessary, from' the respectability of some of our own 

 writers, 'who seem to have adopted this opinion. 



How far to the north our Woodcock is found, I am un- 

 able to say. It is not mentioned as a bird of Hudson's 

 Bay ; and being altogether unknown in the northern parts 

 of Europe, it is very probable that its migrations do not 

 extend to a very high latitude ; for it may be laid down as 

 a general rule, that those birds which migrate to the arctic 

 regions in either continent, are very often common to both. 

 The head of the Woodcock is of singular confirmation, 

 large, somewhat triangular, and the eye fixed at a remarka- 

 ble distance from the bill, and high in the head. This con- 

 struction was necessary to give a greater range of vision, 

 and to secure the eye from injury while the owner is search- 

 ing in the mire. The flight of the Woodcock is slow. 

 When flushed at any time in the woods, he rises to the 

 height of the bushes or under-wood, and almost instantly 

 drops behind them again at a short distance, generally run- 

 ning off for several yards as soon as he touches the ground. 

 The notion that there are two species of Woodcock in this 



