112 GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. WOODCOCK. 



its attention, closing its wings, and dropping suddenly down, 

 and in such cases it is not unusual for it to run a little way 

 before it squats. Just before rising, upon being disturbed, 

 or when running, it jerks its tail upwards, partly expanding 

 it, and fully shewing the white that distinguishes the under 

 Food. sur f ace o f the tips of the tail feathers. In feeding, the Wood- 

 cock inserts its bill deep into the earth in search of worms, 

 which are its favourite and principal food. This instrument 

 is most admirably calculated for the offices it has to perform 

 when thus immersed in the soil ; for, in addition to its great 

 length, it possesses a nervous apparatus distributed over a 

 great portion of its surface, and especially on such parts as 

 are likely to come first into contact with its prey, giving it 

 the sense of touch in the highest perfection ; and to enable 

 it to secure the object thus detected by the discriminating 

 sensibility of the bill, it is further provided with peculiar 

 muscles (common, I believe, to all the members of the genus), 

 which, by compression of the upper or basal part of the bill, 

 are brought into action, so as to expand the tips of both 

 mandibles sufficiently wide, to lay hold of and draw forth 

 the hidden treasure. The digestion of this bird is rapid, 

 and the quantity of worms it can devour in the course of a 

 night is astonishing. I have known one, that consumed at a 

 meal (that is, within the night), more large earth-worms than 

 half filled a garden-pot of considerable size. It may, how- 

 ever, by management, be brought to eat other food ; as MON- 

 TAGU mentions one that was induced to feed on bread and 

 milk, by worms cleanly washed being put into a mess of that 

 kind ; and, by this practice being persisted in, the bird soon 

 acquired a relish for this new sort of aliment, and, with the 

 addition of a few worms, throve well upon it. The flesh of 

 the Woodcock, when in condition, is highly and deservedly 

 esteemed, being juicy meat, and of delicate flavour ; indeed 

 so excellent has it been considered by the epicure, that no 

 portion was suffered to be lost, and we therefore always see 

 it customarily dressed with the entrails undrawn, and serving 



