WOODCOCK. 327 



of any among the winged creation for such a feat of natural 

 affection." It is now well known that Scopoli was mistaken 

 as to the young being carried in or ly the bill, hut it will he 

 seen that there is evidence that the bill is not without em- 

 ployment in the act. A number of observers have stated 

 that the chick is carried in the claws. Descriptions of this 

 mode of conveyance will be found in the late Mr. Lloyd's 

 'Field Sports of the North of Europe' and other works. 

 The most detailed account is, however, that given by the 

 brothers Stuart in the notes to 'Lays of the Deer Forest,' 

 vol. ii. p. 259, from which the following is extracted : 

 "Various times when the hounds, in beating the ground, 

 have come upon a brood, we have seen the old bird 

 rise with a young one in her claws, and carry it fifty or 

 a hundred yards away ; and if followed to the place where 

 she pitched, she has repeated the transportation until too 

 much harassed. One morning, while sitting on a grey 

 stone, I saw a dark eye which was fixed upon mine from the 

 bed of dead leaves before me, when suddenly the little brown 

 head of a young Woodcock peeped out from the feathers of 

 the old one's breast, uttering that plaintive cry for which 

 language has no sign. There were two more young Wood- 

 cocks, and to relieve the anxiety of the madre, I left her. 

 Near the place where I found her, there was a soft green 

 stripe, such as Woodcocks love. I had no doubt that the 

 family would be there next day; and, as I passed near, I 

 turned aside to see what they were doing. Upon a dry bank, 

 half way down the brae, I almost stumbled over a bird 

 which rose at my feet ; and as it darted through the trees, I 

 saw that it had something inr its claws, and, at the same 

 time, I heard the plaintive cry of little Woodcocks just 

 under my feet. I looked down, there were two ; and I 

 thought a hawk had carried off the third, and, perhaps, 

 killed the mother. This, however, I found, on following 

 the bird, was the old Woodcock, which being Hushed again 

 suddenly, after a low flight of only a few yards, dropped 

 what it was carrying, her own young Woodcock. I gave 

 her a little time to find him, which was not difficult, as he 



