146 THB SHOOTER'S GUIDE. 



most likely arisen from the birds having been so 

 wounded by the sportsman in the winter, as to be 

 disabled from taking their long journey in spring. 

 They build their nests on the ground, generally at 

 the root of some tree, and lay four or five eggs about 

 the size of those of a pigeon, of a rusty colour, and 

 marked with brown spots. They are remarkably 

 tame during incubation : A person who discovered a 

 woodcock on its nest, often stood over, and even 

 stroked it; notwithstanding which, it hatched the 

 young, and in due time disappeared with them. A 

 single bird was observed to remain in a coppice be- 

 longing to a gentleman in Dorsetshire through the 

 summer. The place, from its shady and moist 

 situation, was well calculated to maintain it ; yet, by 

 degrees, it lost almost all its feathers, so that for 

 some time it was unable to fly, and was often 

 caught ; but in the autumn it recovered its strength 

 and feathers, and flew away. 



When woodcocks stop in this country through the 

 summer, it seldom happens that two of them (male 

 and female) are found together; it therefore very 

 rarely occurs indeed that woodcocks are bred in this 

 country, though the female herself will make a nest 

 and lay eggs. 



It has been remarked in England, that, for some 

 years past, woodcocks have become scarce ; which 

 seems to be easily accounted for: The northern 

 parts of Europe (and particularly Sweden,) where 

 these birds breed, are making a gradual progress in 



