90 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



approaching, the birds will not remain separated so long as if 

 scattered early in the day. 



I once heard a male continue gobbling vigorously long after 

 dark ; and I have also heard them gobble in the month of 

 December, but it is most unusual for wild turkeys to do so. 



BoNASA UMBELLUS (Stephens.) Ruffed Grouse.- — Although 

 plentiful in the mountains, this is not a common bird in the 

 district of which I write, though a few pair hatch their young 

 every year in the thick pine woods, and remain all the year, and 

 they sometimes drum close to my house in spring. 



It is here locally known as the pheasant, though iu the north 

 it is called the partridge. 



Ortyx virginianus (Bonap.) Partridge. — The quail of the 

 northern and western states. It is very abundant, and not a 

 migrant in Virginia. I have heard the cock commence his 

 amorous call of " bob-white " on April the 22nd, May the 7th, 

 and May the 9th, in different years. In two instances I have 

 strongly suspected this bird of removing its eggs, when I have 

 unconsciously almost trodden on them. In one case the whole 

 nest was taken away, and this was situated in the heart of a large 

 pine wood of many hundred acres, on the edge of a little open 

 spot, where no person would be likely to find it. I think the 

 bird, which had just begun to lay, removed its eggs, and pulled 

 the old nest to pieces to get materials for a new one. 



In two other instances I have suspected birds of removing their 

 eggs, and in One of these cases the circumstantial evidence almost 

 amounted to proof. 



^Egialitis vociferus (Linn.) Kildeer. — This plover is a con- 

 stant resident, and may be seen at any time of the year on open 

 ground, preferring short grass pastures. It is most common in 

 spring and summer, and I think a partial migration takes place 

 in winter, and that some of them leave for more southern 

 quarters. 



Philohela MINOR (Gm.) Woodcock. — I think they leave dur- 

 ino" the colder months of v,^inter, but are common at other times, 

 especially in spring and early summer. Their wings make a 

 strange whistling noise. During the season of courtship they 

 have a habit, late in the evening, of springing from the ground 

 and flying vertically upwards to a considerable height, the tone 



