WOODCOCK. 13 



Germany, and not many in France. A few breed in 

 Switzerland, but their numbers are very variable. Com- 

 mon in Italy, Corfu, Sicily, arid Malta, in winter, and 

 also still further west, south, and east. Dr. Heineken 

 says the Woodcock is found all the year through at 

 Madeira ; they are found in Barbary, are common at 

 Athens ; and Mr. Strickland says, Woodcocks were so 

 abundant at Smyrna during the winter of 1835-6, that 

 many were killed in small gardens in the midst of the 

 town ; they are found also in Egypt and Aleppo. The 

 Zoological Society have lately received notice of our 

 Woodcock having been obtained at Cashmere. I possess 

 a skin from India which is identical with our bird, and 

 others have recorded them as inhabiting Thibet, Nepal 

 and Calcutta ; M. Temminck says it is also found . in 

 Japan. 



The beak is dark brown at the point, pale reddish brown 

 at the base, and generally about three inches long ; the 

 irides dark brown ; the eye large, convex, and prominent ; 

 from the beak to the eye a dark brown streak : the colour 

 of the plumage of this bird is a mixture, principally of three 

 shades of brown ; namely, pale wood-brown, chestnut- 

 brown, and dark umber-brown ; each feather on the upper 

 surface of the body contains the three shades, but so dis- 

 posed as to produce a beautifully variegated appearance. 

 The cheeks pale wood-brown, spotted with dark brown ; 

 the forehead, to the top of the head, greyish brown ; occi- 

 put and nape rich dark brown, transversely divided into 

 three nearly equal patches by two bars of yellow wood- 

 brown ; each feather of the neck below pale brown, edged 

 with dark brown ; the back greyish brown, varied with 

 reddish brown, and dark umber-brown ; all the wing- 

 coverts reddish brown, with open oval rings of dark brown ; 



