THE STILT- WALKERS. 3 I 



" I have found that they always come over in the greatest abundance in hazy weather with little wind, 

 and that blowing' from the north-east; and it is probable that they then find the upper region 

 of the atmosphere in which they fly freer from the counter currents of air, than in more open 

 weather. After a night of this description, I have frequently met with great numbers upon the edges 

 of plantations, in hedges, and even in turnip-fields, and enjoyed excellent sport for the day; 

 but, on seeking for a renewal of success, I have not found a single bird, the .whole flight having 

 proceeded on their course during the intervening night. It is during this time that Woodcocks, 

 like most migratory birds, perform their journeys ; and it seems probable that those which halt upon 

 the eastern coast of Scotland, and the northern counties of England have completed their task from 

 shore to shore, between sunset and sunrise, as .they appear but little fatigued on their arrival, provided 

 the weather has been calm. The distance of the coasts of Norway and Sweden, from whence these 

 visitors are supposed to come, offers no objection to this supposition, as a continued flight of eight 

 or ten hours, even at a rate inferior to what I conceive they are capable of accomplishing, would 

 suffice for the transit. "A respectable person who lived upon the coast," -continues the same 

 observer, "and who, being a keen pursuer of -wild fowl, was in the habit of frequenting the sea-shore 

 at an early hour in the morning, assured me that he had more than once noticed the arrival of a flight 

 of Woodcocks coming from the north-east just at day-dawn. His notice was first attracted by 

 a peculiar sound in the air above his head ; this, upon attending to it, he found proceeded from 

 birds descending in an almost perpendicular direction which, upon approaching the shore, separated 

 and flew toward the interior ; these he pursued and shot, and they proved to be, as he had surmised, 

 Woodcocks." The first flocks of these birds that arrive upon our coast, according to Yarrell, consist 

 for the most part of females which only remain for a few days and then journey further south, while 

 the later flocks, some .of which .remain to breed, .are principally composed of male birds. So 

 numerously are Woodcocks met with in Greece at some seasons, that we are told, three Englishmen 

 on a sporting tour in the Peloponnesus shot no less than 500 brace in the course of three days ; 

 during the actual winter they are far less common in that country, and by February have generally 

 commenced leaving Southern Europe and North-western Asia for Morocco, or the regions around 

 the Altai Mountains. Taking one year with another in Europe, March may be regarded as the month 

 in which these birds commence their migrations, the exact date for setting forth depending, according 

 to the testimony of an observer who studied their habits for seventeen years, not as is usually supposed 

 on the actual state of the weather, but on signs of approaching cold, to which the keen instinct 

 of these birds renders them peculiarly susceptible. Like many of their feathered brethren, they 

 usually travel against the wind, and do not continue their journey on dark or very windy nights : 

 if thus compelled to descend, they prefer seeking shelter in some wood or forest, but if traversing 

 an open country, often take refuge in a well-planted garden or hedge-row. During the course 

 of their flight, however, they keep as much as possible over wooded localities, and unless alarmed, 

 do not rise to any great height in the air, through which they sweep rapidly, ascending, descending, cr 

 making their way through the branches of the forest with equal ease and dexterity. When endeavouring 

 to attract the attention of their females, the motions of these birds are entirely different ; at such 

 times the plumage is inflated, and the aspirants for admiration fly heavily along with slowly flappirg 

 wings, in a manner resembling that of the Owl. Should two rival males encounter each other when 

 thus engaged, they at once commence hostilities, and after a merciless attack with beak and wings, 

 often end by falling together into the trees beneath them. The strangest circumstance connected 

 with these exhibitions of jealousy is, that they occur amongst the flocks during the migratory season, 

 and not, as is generally the case, only at the period of incubation. Upon the ground the Woodcocks 

 are less expert in their movements; they walk slowly, with a somewhat tripping s:cp, and never 



