WOODCOCK SHOOTING. 101 



then numerous in this section of the country, 

 when a cock suddenly flew up and alit within a 

 few feet of the nose of his dog. It ran slowly 

 before the animal, dropping its wings, spreading 

 its tail, ruffling its plumage, and manifesting 

 every sign of impotent rage. Mr. Krider was so 

 surprised at these manoeuvres, never having seen 

 any thing of the kind in the woodcock before, that 

 when it sprung at last he missed it with both 

 barrels, and at the report of his piece, eight or 

 nine birds rose close to him, in a small, swampy 

 thicket where he started the first bird. From 

 the fact of this bird being of unusual size, he was 

 of opinion that it was a female. 



Mr. William McGuigan also shot a bird in the 

 state of New Jersey, under similar circum- 

 stances. We saw this specimen in the Chinese 

 Museum, prepared in that gentleman's inimitable 

 way, exactly in the position in which it was 

 killed, and from a casual inspection of it, believe 

 it to be a female bird. A sporting acquaintance 

 of ours, while " cripple shooting," saw a bird, 

 which the dogs had flushed in the covert where 

 several cocks had already been started and killed, 

 alight on the bank, and perform the same eccen- 

 tric movements within a few feet of him. 



In the summer of 1840, while we were con- 

 7 



