no THE BIRDS OF OUR RAMBLES. 



coming summer in April. The Woodcock skulks 

 much during the day ; but at dusk its activity 

 begins, and then it betakes itself from its forest 

 retreats to its feeding-grounds in the swampy 

 corners of the fields or woods, or by the margin 

 . of the stream. Its food consists of worms and 

 insects. The Woodcocks that breed in this 

 country set about operations in April. At this 

 period the habits of the bird become less skulk- 

 ing. The male may then be seen, especially at 

 early morning and in the evening, flying up and 

 down the forest paths or along the borders of the 

 woods, uttering his whirring love-note. At this 

 season the cocks become pugnacious, and often 

 fight over their affairs of amour. The Woodcock 

 makes a slight nest among the drifts of dead 

 leaves in some snug, dry corner of the woods, 

 and the four large buffish brown eggs, spotted 

 and blotched with reddish brown and gray, are 

 exceedingly beautiful objects. The Woodcock is 

 said to convey its young to the feeding-grounds, 

 and much controversy has arisen as to the manner 

 in which the feat is accomplished. The plumage 

 of the Woodcock is remarkably rich in colour and 

 of exceeding variety. The upper parts are chest- 

 nut, mottled with black and gray ; the underparts 

 are buff barred with brown a protective dress 

 which shields the bird from its enemies by assi- 

 milating closely with the colours around. 



In some few of our woodlands the observer 



will be fortunate enough to come across a colony 



wweiy but of HERONS (Ardea cinerea). Like a rookery, a 



distributed, heronry is a fixture. Season after season the 



birds return to their old nests in the tree-tops to 



rear their young, and the stirring scene is ever 



