174 BIRD-LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



Another interesting bird that breeds sparingly in 

 the Devonshire woods is the Woodcock. From 

 lack of absolute information it is almost impossible 

 to outline even the approximate distribution of this 

 species in the county during the breeding season. 

 There can be no doubt that many pairs nest within 

 our limits, but the fact is never even suspected. 

 Keepers in various parts of the South Hams have 

 assured us repeatedly that the Woodcock bred in 

 their covers; but down to the present time we have 

 never had the good fortune to examine a Devon- 

 shire nest. As a rule, the haunts of the Woodcock 

 are difficult of access during the breeding season. 

 Keepers are naturally loth to disturb the covers at 

 such a time, and to search indiscriminately for 

 nests without the guidance of local knowledge is 

 very much like looking for the proverbial needle 

 in a haystack. Perhaps some other ornithologist 

 more fortunate than us has succeeded in finding the 

 prize; if so, we should like to be made acquainted 

 with the fact. 



4 Coming now to the smaller birds, we may say 

 that woods are by no means favourite haunts of 

 the Passeres. These birds prefer cover in more 

 open country gardens, thickets, fields, hedgerows, 



