THE GAME BIRDS OF INDTA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 25 



called "a bleat," "a. .croak,." "a jarring chuckle" by various 

 writers. Mr. Osmaston speaks of the noise made by a female Wood- 

 cock disturbed in its brooding as being " a continuous sort of grating 

 purring noise." Hume says that as far as his own experience goes- 

 the Woodcock is mute in the cold weather, but he quotes Mr. 

 Wilson as writing of them in their summer haunts : "At this- 

 season they are seen towards dusk, about the open glades 

 and borders of the forests on the higher ridges, flying rather 

 high in the air in various directions and uttering a loud wailing 

 cry." Hume also quotes " European authors " to the effect that 

 the Woodcock has " a very peculiar call-note, first one or two snorts, 

 a hollow coarse, somewhat lengthened nasal sound, followed by as 

 short fine sharp sort of whistle, which when one is accustomed to it. 

 may be heard to a considerable distance. " 



The diet of the Woodcock ranges over rather a wide limit. 

 Tickell says it will swallow a lob worm whole, I have found tiny 

 snails and water shells in its stomach and on another occasion a bird 

 I examined had been feeding entirely on some small white worms? 

 of a very wiry hard consistency. It feeds on grubs, beetles, insects of 

 almost any sort and will also swallow spawn of frogs. It is almost 

 entirely a nocturnal bird, even more nocturnal than crepuscular, 

 feeding after dark or only a very short time before nightfall. In the 

 day it lies up and sleeps, and at this time is usually found in a drv 

 spot though near water. 



Breeding Habits and JSidification. — There are two points in con- 

 nection with the breeding of the Woodcock which call for remark ; 

 first is the curious manner of flight during the breeding season, some- 

 what analogous to the drumming of snipes ; and, secondly, the- 

 habit the Woodcock has of carrying its young from one place to> 

 another. 



As regards the roding of the Woodcock, as its habit of flight 

 during the breeding season is called, this is described by Seebohm 

 as follows ; — " The Woodcock does not drum like the snipe but during 

 the breeding season like that bird, the male forgets for a time his 

 skulking habits and flies backwards and forwards, uttering a peculiar 

 note, which, though unquestionably proceeding from the throat, 

 must be regarded as analogous to the drumming of the snipe. This 

 peculiar habit of the Woodcock is described as roding and is- 



