THE BOOK OF MIGRATORY BIRDS 2Oj 



and, generally speaking, in the hollows below the wind. 

 If the day has dawned quiet and peaceful, they may be 

 seen anywhere in the open or in the shelter, wherever the 

 fancy of each individual bird has led it after its meal. 

 After a light night, 'cock sit close, having gorged them- 

 selves to such an extent that they may sometimes be caught 

 by dogs or with the naked hand. After a stormy night 

 they are wild, unsettled, rising like a snipe, and zig- 

 zagging away with an uncertain and puzzling flight, while 

 on other occasions they rise with slowly moving wings, 

 flying like an owl when bewildered by the light of day. 

 The large eyes of woodcock are sufficient to betray its 

 night-feeding propensities, and it is this bright organ 

 alone which enables the observer to locate the hen when 

 sitting on her nest in dry leaves or dead bracken, which 

 precisely match the colours of her plumage. 



Generally speaking, woodcock lie facing the sun, and 

 thick heather slopes, with a few birches scattered here and 

 there, are favoured in such localities where food is plenti- 

 ful in the neighbourhood. It stands to reason that a wood- 

 cock is unwilling to travel far after a full meal, just as so 

 many human bipeds prefer the comfort of an armchair 

 after dinner to a long cross-country walk. Hence they are 

 often found near the feeding-grounds, even when frost has 

 not driven them to the neighbourhood of water, although 

 in the latter case it is far easier to predict with any cer- 

 tainty the spot chosen by the long-billed bird. Their 

 habits are, however, very variable, and every sportsman 

 will frequently find his pet theories upset by the elusive 

 bird. Often we find them where least expected, and it is 

 common indeed to see it rise close to our feet when both 

 barrels have been uselessly expended on some furtive 

 bunny dodging in the heather. 



The migrations of snipe are more regular, and, though 

 likewise affected by severe weather, their arrival can be 

 foretold with greater accuracy. From the end of Sep- 

 tember till the beginning- of December snipe appear in 

 these islands, but, as regards their habits, the above 



