344 THE WOODCOCK. 



country, probably originated from the great difference be- 

 tween the male and female, the latter being considerably 

 the larger. 



The male Woodcock is ten inches and a half long, and 

 sixteen inches in extent ; bill a brownish flesh color, black 

 towards the tip, the upper mandible ending in a slight nob, 

 that projects about one-tenth of an inch beyond the lower, 

 each grooved, and in length somewhat more than two 

 inches and a half; forehead, line over the eye, and whole 

 lower parts, reddish tawny ; sides of the neck inclining to 

 ash ; between the eye and bill, a slight streak of dark 

 brown ; crown, from the fore-part of the eye backwards, 

 black, crossed by three narrow bands of brownish white ; 

 cheeks marked with a bar of black, variegated with light 

 brown ; edges of the back and of the scapulars, pale bluish 

 white ; back and scapulars, deep black, each feather tipt 

 or marbled with light brown and bright Ferruginous, with 

 numerous fine zigzag lines of black crossing the lighter 

 parts ; quills plain dusky brown ; tail black, each feather 

 marked along the outer edge with small spots of pale brown, 

 and ending in narrow tips of a pale drab color above, and 

 silvery white below ; lining of the wing bright rust ; legs 

 and feet a pale reddish flesh color ; eye very full and black, 

 seated high, and very far back in the head ; weight five 

 ounces and a half, sometimes six. 



The female is twelve inches long, and eighteen in ex- 

 tent; weighs eight ounces; and differs also in having the 

 bill very near three inches in length ; the black on the 

 back is not quite so intense ; and the sides under the wings 

 are slightly barred with dusky. 



The young Woodcocks, of a week or ten days old, are 

 covered with down of a brownish white color, and are 

 marked from the bill, along the crown to the hind-head, 

 with a broad stripe of deep brown : another line of the 

 same passes through the eyes to the hind-head, curving 

 under the eye ; from the back to the rudiments of the tail 



