WARWICK WOODLANDS. 123 



be near neighbors by the rapidity of their succession' — 

 and why they abstain from their favorite grounds in worse 

 locations, remains, and I fear we must remain, in the 

 dark. All the habits of the woodcock are, indeed very par- 

 tially and slightly understood. They arrive here, and 

 breed early in the spring — sometimes, indeed, before the 

 snow is off the hills — get their young off in June, and 

 with their young are most unmercifully, most unsports- 

 manly, thinned off, when they can hardly fly — such is the 

 error, as I think it, of the law — but I could not convince 

 my stanch friends, Philo, and J. Cypress, Jr., of the fact, 

 when they bestirred themselves in favor of the progeny 

 of their especial favorites, perdix virginiana and tetrao 

 wnbellus, and did defer the times for slaying them legiti- 

 mately to such a period, that it is in fact next to im- 

 possible to kill the latter bird at all. But vainly did I 

 plead, and a false advocate was Cypress after all, despite 

 his nominal friendship, for that unhappy Scolopax, who in 

 July at least deserves his nickname minor, or the infant. 

 For, setting joke apart, what a burning shame it is to 

 murder the poor little half-fledged younglings in July, 

 when they will scarcely weigh six ounces; when they will 

 drop again within ten paces of the dog that flushes, or the 

 gun that misses them ; and when the heat will not allow 

 you even to enjoy the consummation of their slaughter. 

 Look at these fellows now, with their gray foreheads, their 

 plump ruddy breasts , their strong, well-feathered pinions, 

 each one ten ounces at the least. Think how these jolly old 

 cocks tower away, with their shirll whistle, through the 

 tree-tops, and twist and dodge with an agility of wing 

 and thought-like speed, scarcely inferior to the snipe's or 

 swallow's, and fly a half mile if you miss them; and 

 laugh to scorn the efforts of any one to bag them, who is 

 not an out-and-outer! No chance shot, no stray pellet 

 speaks for these — it must be the charge, the whole charge, 

 and nothing but the charge, which will cut down the 

 grown bird of October! The law should have said wood- 

 cock thou shalt not kill until September; quail thou shalt 

 not kill till October, the twenty -fifth if you please; part- 

 ridge thou shalt kill in all places, and at all times, when 



thou canst ! and that, as we know, Frank, and A , that 



is not everywhere or often." 



