JANUARY 7 



in which County Councils ought to exercise the powers 

 conferred on them by the amending Act of 1892. They 

 can apply to the Home Secretary, or, in Scotland, to the 

 Secretary for Scotland, for an extension of the close time 

 for any wild bird. It is no use protecting woodcocks 

 during the summer months, if their broods are to be 

 slaughtered in August. They should enjoy the same 

 close time as pheasants namely, from February 2 to 

 September 30 inclusive and all good sportsmen and 

 lovers of wild creatures would rejoice if this were done. 



I have said that since the inauguration of a close season 

 in 1881 the number of woodcocks breeding in the British 

 Isles has been steadily increasing. The reason for this is 

 pretty obvious. The flights that abide with us in winter 

 are composed of birds which bred and were bred in more 

 northern latitudes. These move away in spring to Ice- 

 land, Scandinavia, and Siberia, and their place is taken by 

 birds which have wintered in southern Europe, intending 

 to nest in Britain. Multitudes of these used to be shot in 

 March and April, so that in most counties a woodcock's 

 nest was considered something remarkable. It is so no 

 longer. True, many districts have been rendered unsuit- 

 able for these birds by extensive drainage, and we are not 

 likely to see again the abundance described in a book 

 written in 1602, quoted by Professor Newton in his 

 admirable Dictionary of Birds, where woodcocks are 

 stated to be ' taken in cock-shoote tyme, as yt is tearmed, 

 which is the twylight, when yt ys no strange thinge to 

 take a hundred or sixe-score in one woodd in twenty-four 

 houres ' ; but wherever there are broad woods and marshy 

 land, there native woodcocks are increasing once more. 

 During the last fifteen years the Duke of Northumber- 



