COCK ON THE FEED 221 



soft, as it is under the holly, juniper, and privet bushes, 

 whether in woods, fields, or hedges, they are generally 

 to be found. 



I have, when waiting for deer, often watched wood- 

 cock feeding, and have been interested in noticing how 

 each bird seems to have its o\a n feeding-ground in 

 covert. I have observed them feeding in twos and 

 threes, quite close to each other, but each bird 

 appeared to have his own particular line of soft marsh ; 

 and as soon as this was invaded by a nei^^hbour, the 

 latter was instantly driven off it. 



Another curious fact which must, I am sure, have 

 attracted the notice of many sportsmen, is that when 

 woodcock have settled down into their winter-quarters, 

 the trail of more than one bird is never visible about 

 any bush whence a bird may have been flushed. Very 

 occasionally one may get a right and left at woodcock, 

 but unless they have been driven from some other 

 parts of the covert, by having been flushed, it scarcely 

 ever happens that more than one bird rises from 

 exactly the same spot in November. When they have 

 been thus flushed, if they do not light exactly on their 

 own hiding-place, they run and warn their con- 

 freres. 



As a rule, their usual tactics are to light some 

 distance from their accustomed haunt, and run into 

 it. I have many a time been thus nonplussed ; and 

 after having accurately marked a cock down into some 

 holly-hush, he has given me the slip by running round 

 and through it, and getting up on the far side of it. 



It is as well when beating for a cock which has 

 been marked down (and I may say that the rule is 



