THE WOODCOCK. 169 



themselves in the dense thickets of underbrush along the mar- 

 gins of smaller streams, or hide themselves in the rank grass 

 and luxuriant fern of our wet meadow lands. In fact, where- 

 ever there is good boring-ground, and a certain degree of se- 

 clusion, there will be found Woodcocks in the month of July, 

 many or few, according to the nature of the ground, and the 

 favorable or unfavorable state of the breeding season. 



When there has been a succession of dry weather, it is quite 

 useless to examine light and open coverts, or sparse woods, in 

 quest of Cocks, as at such times they will be found either on 

 the open wet bottoms, if such spots can then be come across, 

 or more likely in the deep, impermeable thickets and entangled 

 brakes, where the ground seldom or never entirely loses its 

 moisture. On the other hand, when the weather has been ex- 

 tremely wet for some days, Woodcocks will betake themselves 

 to the hillsides or elevated grounds, as they are not by any 

 means partial to too much water, although a certain degree of 

 moisture is absolutely necessary for their very existence. When 

 the weather begins to get cool, they may also be found in the 

 open woody glens or clearings, enjoying, as it were, the mild 

 warmth of the autumn's sun, as the feeble rays from time to 

 time pierce the sparse foliage of the overhanging trees, or ac- 

 tively engaged boring in the mossy banks of the warm rills, 

 which so often spring up from such sheltered situations. In 

 sections of the country where these Birds resort, we can scarcely 

 visit a spot of this kind early in October, without finding a 

 couple or so of Cocks, provided the ground is not too often 

 overrun with Shooters.* 



* Our friend, Mr. T. W. Chandler, Esq., mentioned to us a few days since, in 

 course of conversation, that he had noticed that Cocks are seldom or never found 

 in the swamps of an iron district. He also stated that he considered their ab- 

 sence from such places owing to the general acidity of the soil, which always, 

 in these iron regions, contains a large proportion of oxygen ; a fact, by the by, 

 well known to all intelligent farmers, who always spread quantities of lime on 

 such places to sweeten the soil, as they say, and make it in a condition to pro- 

 duce. We know, from our own observation, that but few or no worms can be 

 found in these sour marshes, and the vegetable products themselves are coarse 

 and ill-favored. 



Mr. Chandler also states that Cocks are rare in the coal regions, owing, no 

 doubt, to the noxious gases that oftentimes are generated in such soils. 



