WOODCOCK SHOOTING. 



THE WOODCOCK SCOLOPAX MDTOK. 



Description. "The male woodcock is ten 

 inches and a half long, and sixteen inches in ex- 

 tent ; bill a brownish flesh color, black towards 

 the tip, the upper mandible ending in a slight 

 knob, 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 eyes, 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 tipped or marbled with light brown 

 and bright ferruginous, with numerous fine zig- 

 zag lines of black crossing the lighter part ; 

 quills, plain dusky brown ; tail, black, each 



