S2 



A. O. U. No. 838. 



AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 

 AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 



(Philohela minor.) 



RANGE. 



Eastern North America, south from the British Provinces and west 

 to Dakota and Kansas. In winter they migrate south of the Middle 

 States. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Length, 10.5 in.; extent, about 16 in.; tail, a trifle over 2 in. Eye, 

 ■dark brown. Bill and feet light brownish. Entire upper parts beauti- 

 fully patterned with black, buffy, and rusty. Entire under parts more 

 or less bright rusty brown. 



NEST AND EGGS. 



The Woodcock makes no attempt to build a nest of any sort, but lays 

 her four brown-spotted, buffy eggs directly upon the bed of leaves 

 which nature has prepared for her. Damp, boggy places are their 

 choice for a locality, and it has been my experience that swamps cov- 

 ered with alder bushes are most frequently chosjen. They breed from 

 the latter part of April to the end of May, and if the first set of eggs is 

 destroyed they will lay again in the same neighborhood. 



HABITS. 



HE American Woodcock is a most peculiar and inter- 

 'esting member of the large and varied family of shore 

 birds. The most striking features are the extremely 

 large, dark-brown eyes, situated alarmingly near the 

 highest point on the top of his head. It might almost 

 seem that they were thus located to partially atone for 

 the shortness of his neck, so as to enable him to see 

 over the grass, in which he likes to hide; but it is much 

 more probable that they have gradually changed from 

 the normal position through excessive use in one di- 

 As is well known, they gather their food, which consists of 

 various grubs, by boring in the soft mud with their long bills, and as 

 their food is gathered wholly by feeling and not by sight, it is probable 



rection. 



