THE WOODCOCK 263 



in places to enable the birds to use their probes, but as 

 the season advanced, but a few small spots remained 

 where the birds could bore. The sportsmen in the 

 little village nearby said the birds had gone to the 

 hills, their evidence supporting the contention of 

 Trumbull and others. 



With a dog almost worthless I found birds in the 

 neighboring corn-fields, which furnished evidence to 

 support the theories of many other writers. Being sat- 

 isfied that the birds scatter at this season in their search 

 for food, the only question which remained was why 

 they should abandon the home of their birth, when 

 they might readily go out to feed at night, and return 

 to rest in their chosen cover by day. Possibly the par- 

 tial loss of wing power at this season is the answer 

 to the question. It is most likely that the continuous 

 shooting may make it seem desirable to the birds to 

 move to other more secure retreats. Ducks when 

 much persecuted will abandon the choicest feeding 

 grounds: why should not the woodcock do the same? 

 I certainly gave the birds along the old mill-race every 

 reason to desire a change of habitat. 



The woodcock are now protected on many of the 

 preserves owned by duck clubs. The wet woodlands 

 adjacent to the vast wild-rice marshes about the Kan- 

 kakee and the Sandusky rivers, and everywhere within 

 the range of the woodcock, where there are duck clubs, 

 harbor many woodcock, and the protection given the 

 birds will do much toward the salvation of the race. 



Woodcock were bred and raised in Fairmount Park, 

 within the city limits*of Philadelphia, last season. 



Good cock-ground in the Middle and Western States 



