THROUGH THE WOODS. 109 



crow is most frequently repeated before dusk, as 

 the birds are seeking their roosts. Pheasants are 

 polygamous, and several females live in the society 

 of one male during the pairing season until the eggs 

 are laid. The hen scratches a slovenly nest under 

 a mass of brambles or amongst fern, rushes, and 

 underwood, where she lays from eight to twelve 

 drab-coloured eggs. With the young chicks the 

 cock has nothing to do, and all the care of bringing 

 them to maturity rests on the mother. Pheasants 

 feed on grain of all kinds, seeds, berries, acorns, 

 and tender shoots, and on insects and worms. 

 The magnificent CAPERCAILLIE ( Tetrao urorallus] central 



r ...,...- .^ d ' Scotland. 



after many vicissitudes bids fair to become once 

 more a dominant species in the northern pine 

 forests, but as it is at present exceedingly local, 

 this passing allusion is sufficient for the purpose 

 of the present work. 



Another bird which, for the sport it yields and 

 the exceeding delicacy of its flesh, is almost as 

 jealously guarded and preserved as the Pheasant, 

 is the WOODCOCK (Scolopax rusticola). Structurally widely 

 it has nothing to do with the Gallinaceous birds, MSoSi 

 being closely allied to the Snipes a little group in 

 in the great natural order of the CHARADRIID.E or 

 Waders. From many points of view the Wood- 

 cock is an exceedingly interesting bird. True, it 

 is by no means common, especially in summer; 

 yet there are many English woods where it 

 remains to breed, and where, from its skulking 

 habits, it is apt to be overlooked altogether. No 

 other bird is more associated with autumn by nine 

 persons out of ten than the Woodcock ; and 

 rightly so, for its advent in October tells of 

 winter's nearness, just as the Cuckoo speaks of 



