THE WOODCOCK. 236 



The lurid glare of the torch only extends to a distance of twenty 

 yards or so around the negro ; the sportsman must, therefore, be 

 on the qui vive to knock the birds over as soon as they rise, other- 

 wise they will immediately be shrouded in the impenetrable dark- 

 ness of night. 



These excursions are carried on with great spirit, sometimes con- 

 tinue the whole night through, and the slaughter of cocks is often 

 very great; with an experienced "fire-hunter" it is no unusual 

 occurrence to bag in this way fifty couple before morning. This 

 plan of taking woodcocks is very similar to that pursued ages ago 

 by the fowlers of England, and is termed "bird-batting " Instead 

 of the gun, they made use of nets to throw over the birds, and 

 bludgeons to knock them down whenever a favourable opportunity 

 presented itself. It was also deemed very necessary in these 

 "bird-battings" for the torch-bearer to ring a loud bell without 

 intermission, as its sound at the dead hour of the night was thought 

 to bewilder or stupefy the birds to such an extent that they became 

 transfixed to the ground, and therefore offered an easy mark for 

 the fowler. If the ringing of the bell was for a moment discon- 

 tinued, the birds were very apt to arouse themselves from their 

 lethargy, fly off, and consequently frustrate the fowler's designs. 



NETS AND SNARES. 



Formerly, when cocks were much more plentiful in England than 

 they are at present, multitudes were taken in glade and spring-nets, 

 which were hung in the moist places where their "marking and 

 meutings were observable." These birds are very loath, while 

 feeding, to pass over any obstruction that may lie in their way, 

 but would rather pursue a confined and tortuous path than turn 



