426 Scolopacidce. 



1 forty couple is frequently the result of one day's sport in the 

 Emerald Isle/* and Sir R Payne-Gall wey speaks of even a larger 

 bag ; while in 1881 an exceptional year for abundance of Wood- 

 cock a thousand head a week for three weeks were forwarded to 

 London by one dealer only ; and over five thousand were brought 

 into a small town in County Clare during the three weeks' frost 

 of January of that year. And yet this is as nothing compared to 

 the immense quantities which are obtained in the evergreen woods 

 and swamps of the Greek coast and Ionian Islands, as we may 

 gather from Lord Lilford's graphic account in the Ibis.^ The 

 Woodcock is a nocturnal feeder, as might be inferred from its 

 immense, full, dark, bright, and very prominent eyes, which are 

 also placed very far back in, and nearly on a level with the crown 

 of, the head, and give the bird a singular staring appearance. 

 That the eyes are so placed is doubtless to avoid their contact 

 with mud and wet, as well as to see while they plunge their bills, 

 nearly forehead deep, while in the act of feeding. Unlike its 

 congeners, it seeks the retirement of woods during the day, only 

 emerging at twilight or dusk to its feeding-places in swampy 

 ground. Its flight is perfectly noiseless, and very rapid, and it is 

 marvellous how quickly and accurately it will thread its way 

 through the thick branches of the trees, and very soon it will close 

 its wings, and suddenly drop into any tempting cover, and then 

 run to shelter into any rank grass or thick underwood it can 

 find. St. John observes that its flight in the evening is rapid and 

 steady, instead of being uncertain and owl-like, as it is often in 

 bright sunshine;* an( * Sir R. Payne-Gallwey, ' that if flushed when 

 a hurricane is blowing, its immense powers of wing (unrivalled 

 almost) will carry it along in any direction as if it was merely a 

 summer zephyr. It is a solitary bird, and seldom associates with 

 its fellows. Its plumage is peculiarly rich, of a deep brown 



* ' Game Birds and Wild Fowl,' p. 50. 



t Ibis for 1860, vol. ii., pp. 340-342. See also Thompson's ' Natural History 

 of Ireland/ vol. ii., p. 242. 

 t * Highland Sports,' p. 220. 

 ' The Fowler in Ireland/ pp. 16, 218-225. 



