THE WOODCOCK 267 



that the birds migrating in small companies following 

 one another, arrive and depart with some regularity at 

 the covers where the food is abundant. When the 

 birds are all shot off one day, and a similar number are 

 found on the ground the next day, the matter is noted 

 and much talked about as something strange. When, 

 no birds are found the next day, the matter is not dis- 

 cussed. I am prepared to admit that new birds often 

 will be found in a cover shot out, but not always. 



The woodcock has many local names. He is some- 

 times called snipe, or big-headed snipe, wood-snipe, 

 whistling-snipe, mud-snipe, and red-breasted snipe. 

 The latter term is more often applied to the dowitcher. 

 Timber-doodle is another name used by countryfolk. 



The European woodcock is an occasional visitor to 

 our country and is occasionally shot by sportsmen. 

 He is a very much larger bird, so much larger, indeed, 

 as to be easily distinguished. I read some time ago 

 of an experiment to introduce these birds into America, 

 but the result was not satisfactory ; the birds were not 

 seen again after their first migration. 



