164 COCK SHOOTING. 



amongst them that the cock's long bill is as 

 sensitive as the whiskers of the cat, and that he 

 feels his way with it ; any one, however, who 

 has seen the performance we refer to would not 

 suspect that it was done after that method. 



The woodcock begins to arrive in this coun- 

 try as early as September, but in very small 

 numbers. In October large flights come over, 

 but in November the main contingents put in 

 an appearance. When they first land they 

 drop into all sorts of odd places. As our sea- 

 coasts are generally sparsely furnished with 

 heavy coverts, the cocks seek shelter in hedge- 

 rows, in patches of furze or gorse; but they 

 are especially fond of secreting themselves in 

 or about holly bushes. We recommend any 

 of our readers who may be on the look-out 

 for them near the shores in the early part of 

 the season, never to neglect beating well 

 hedges of holly or even isolated clumps of 

 that tree. They are easy shots when flushed, 

 when they first come in. Some of the sport- 

 ing papers have spoken of them as being as 

 " plump and fat as butter " after their ocean 

 voyage. As far as my own experience goes, 



