196 THE BIRDS OF SHERWOOD FOREST. 



four young ones. She fluttered round them for a few- 

 minutes in great alarm, and then taking up one under 

 one of her wings she ran off with it for a short distance, 

 beating the ground with the other wing in the manner 

 of the partridge ; the remaining three young ones 

 quickly concealing themselves in the grass and fern. 



A friend of mine, who was a very close observer, 

 informed me that he came on a nest in a wood called 

 the Catwins, where the young, four in number, and only 

 recently hatched, were being brooded by the female. 

 On being discovered she did not stir, but hissed at him 

 like a goose, in order to deter his approach. His curio- 

 sity prompted him to advance within a yard to see 

 what she would do, when she merely moved off about 

 the same distance, followed by her young family, and 

 again brooded them. The tiny things were covered with 

 blackish down, very similar to the young of the water- 

 hen, and with their long bills looked very funny little 

 fellows. 



A week before this Mr. Mansell found a nest with 

 four eggs in a dry place at the foot of a furze bush in 

 Thoresby Park ; but, contrary to the usual habit, it was 

 in a most exposed situation, being only about five- yards 

 from the public carriage-way leading to Clumber, and 

 no attempt at concealment had been made. These eggs 

 were safely hatched a few days afterwards. A nest 

 which I found in Blyth Corner Wood consisted merely 

 of a layer of dead leaves, with a few pieces of dry fern, 

 and was warmly placed in a dry spot at the foot of a 

 bush amongst various trees of large growth, and within 

 a short distance of a small shallow pool. 



These instances of the woodcock's breeding were, of 

 course, only accidentally discovered in closely-kept pre- 



