SHOOTING. 



They feed on worms and insects, which they search for, with 

 their long bills, in soft grounds, and moist woods, feeding and 

 flying principally in the night. They go out in the evening, 

 and generally return in the same direction, or through the same 

 glades, to their day retreat. 



An erroneous notion generally prevails that the woodcock 

 lives by suction ; which has probably arisen from the bird's being 

 occasionally observed to thrust his long bill into the earth. As 

 I ara not aware that any naturalist has truly described the mode 

 of feeding of the woodcock, I shall relate a few particulars from 

 actual observation. Most writers observe, that, to obtain food, 

 the woodcock thrusts his long bill into the ground, and thus 

 coming in contact with small worms and insects, he is enabled, 

 by means of his semi-serrated beak, to squeeze the dirt out of his 

 mouth, and then swallow the food. It is possible, certainly, that 

 the woodcock may, by tionng, obtain small worms and insects, 

 and, after cleansing them from the dirt, swallow them ; but his 

 general and regular mode of feeding is as follows : having 

 pierced the ground with his long bill, and shaken the surrounding 

 earth, all the worms in the immediate vicinity make their way to 

 the surface and are greedily swallowed. If a person force a stick 

 or spade into the ground, and move it about, he will quickly per- 

 ceive the worms within reach of the motion appear at the surface, 

 manifesting great alarm and eagerness to escape from danger : 

 instinct, therefore-, no doubt, impels the woodcock thus to pro- 

 cure his food. In a fevere frost, this bird is driven to shades 

 and protected places, where the ground still remains sufficiently 

 soft to admit of the operation of boring. The woodcock appears 

 to crush the worm to a jelly as it passes up his bill ; and, either 

 from this circumstance, or from extraordinary powers of diges- 

 tion, whatever the bird swallows seems to become almost instan- 

 taneously that exquisite table delicacy known by the name of 

 trail. If a woodcock be flushed while feeding, in the very act 



