404 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE, 



in ' Twelfth Night,' " Now is the Woodcock near the 

 gin ; " and Laertes and Polonius, in ' Hamlet,' " As 

 a Woodcock to my own springe ; " " Ay, springes to 

 catch Woodcocks/' Besides these snares or springes 

 Woodcocks were often caught in nets set across 

 open paths in the woods through which the Wood- 

 cocks take their flight when going out " reading," as 

 it is called, that is, when on their evening excursion 

 for food. I believe this method is still practised in 

 Guernsey. 



The Woodcock is so well known, and so easily 

 seen and obtained at every poulterer's shop during 

 the game season, that it is useless to waste time in 

 describing it. I may, however, remark that it varies 

 much in size, the difference between the males and 

 females being very considerable, the males being the 

 smallest, so much so that Yarrell says a young male 

 of the year shot in October will sometimes weigh 

 only seven ounces, whilst an old female will fre- 

 quently weigh as much as fourteen or fifteen ounces : 

 this difference in size and weight will quite account 

 for the small Woodcocks occasionally shot, and often 

 considered by sportsmen as a distinct species. 



Varieties of the Woodcock not unfrequently occur : 

 the most usual varieties appear to be a sort of pale 

 buff or cream-colour, and sometimes a mixture of 

 white feathers amongst the ordinary plumage. I 

 saw one of the former at Mrs. Turle's shop in 

 Taunton, on January 7th, 1864 ; all the lighter 



