30 JOURNAL, BOMB A Y NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XX V 



to approach within a few feet, and then, with an apparent effort half 

 fluttered, half ran away." 



Rattray took a large number of nests of the Woodcock in Changia 

 Gali, Danga Gali and other places near Murree. In our Journal 

 (in loc. sit.) he records : — " This bird breeds freely round Changia 

 GaJi from about 8,500 feet upwards. I saw some 8 or 10 pairs, and 

 found some 5 nests, each containing the usual four eggs. The nests 

 were all in thick forests and generally under a shrub like Rue. The 

 nest is a typical one. I hope next year to get a good photo of a 

 sitting bird and settle the question I lately ventilated in "The Field ,r 

 as to birds sitting with eyes closed and bill resting on the ground." 



The typical nest referred to is that shown by Rattray in the- 

 beautiful photograph which accompanies his article. This shows a 

 nest formed by a depression in a mass of leaves and rubbish lying on 

 the ground under a thickly foliaged bush. 



In India the Woodcock seems seldom to breed before May and 

 generally not before the end of that month. Osmaston found young 

 birds on the 17th June in the Tons Valley. Davidson says : — " On the- 

 24th and 25th May we obtained two clutches of its eggs, consisting 

 of four slightly incubated and three fresh eggs, and on the 28th May 

 I found a pair with small young ones." This was in Kashmir near 

 Ganjadgir, and I have eggs in my own collection taken by Rattray at 

 Danga Gali as late as the 14th July. Lindsay Smith records hard 

 set eggs as late as the end of August, and he twice came on nests and 

 eggs, broken by cattle, at the end of July. 



In Europe they seem to breed a great deal earlier than in India. 

 Many seem to commence breeding operations in March, and I have 

 European eggs taken in March, April and May, my latest date being; 

 that of a clutch taken in Germany on the 25th May. They are, 

 however, sometimes much later than this. Davidson writing to me on 

 the 6th August says that as he is writing there is a Woodcock sitting 

 on four eggs in his own preserves, and he adds that this is the third 

 sitting, the bird having hatched off two previously. 



Hewetson says that the " Woodcock lays its eggs amongst the dry 

 grass or dead leaves which form the surface of the woods and planta- 

 tions which it frequents. It is an early breeder, frequently having: 

 young ones in the middle of April." 



Yarrell describes the nest as being " all in dry warm situations- 



